Labyrinth: A Magical Destiny
by Molly1
Summary: *reformatted with chapters* Sarah's epic return to the labyrinth where she finds the magic dying. She must go on a quest to save the Underground and Jareth.
1. Memories from the Past

Labyrinth: A Magical Destiny  
  
  
Chapter one: Memories From the Past  
  
Sarah was surrounded by destruction and death. The whole world that she was  
standing in seemed to have lost it's vibrancy and life. A place that had once been filled  
with a magic music and strange, but interesting, creatures, was totally different and dead.   
It hurt to look about her.  
  
However, she knew that she would be forced to endure the pain of the destruction  
of the Underground. It always happened that way in dreams. Sarah was quite sure that  
she was dreaming. She hadn't wished to be taken by the goblins, at least not to her  
memory.  
  
The grand wall that had stood ominously before her when she entered the  
Labyrinth, had toppled down and covered the plants that the biting fairies had inhabited.   
She scanned the area with intent eyes. There had to be something that was left whole and  
alive. She almost expected Hoggle to hobble out towards her with his fairy repellent in  
one hand. However, it was no to be.  
  
She stepped carefully over the ruins of the walls. Her destination was not clear to  
her, but she had a feeling about where she was going to end up. She knew that she had to  
see if the castle still stood in all its monstrosity and glory. She had to know if everything  
had been destroyed.  
  
Sarah passed through the doors that had been guarded six long years ago by Alph  
and Ralph. She gazed into the pit where she had fallen. There were no helping hands in  
there to greet her. Sarah continued past the doors.   
  
As she walked she began to realize that the distance between her starting point and  
the castle had been greatly shortened. At one time it had loomed ahead of her for hours.   
Now, in the ruins it took her a few short minutes to come up to the collapsed iron doors.  
  
Her mind drifted back to a time when Ludo had easily thrust open the shut doors.   
His powerful strength had come in handy with the difficult passages. The sight of the  
powerful castle in shambles tugged at her heart. It was not her world, but she had done so   
much maturing there. The Underground had become a very real part of her past.  
  
Her eyes wandered over the castle. It too was close to ruins, but had faired better  
than the rest of the Labyrinth. She glanced around at the open courtyard that had once  
been bustling with goblin guards and odd little homes. There wasn't even a single  
structure left.   
  
  
A flash of white caught her eye. Sarah quickly spun and gazed up into the dark  
and stormy sky. Had she seen the white owl? Her eyes scanned the sky, but she only saw  
the clouds. A roar of thunder rolled from nearby and the sky was briefly lit by a flash of  
lightening. Sarah wrapped her arms around herself and shivered slightly at the ominous  
surroundings.  
  
The storm would hit shortly and she certainly didn't feel like getting drenched.   
The only sanctuary was in the castle. Sarah looked behind herself one last time and took a  
deep breath to prepare herself. She knew that He was watching her and that He would be  
in the castle, waiting.  
  
Sarah stepped gently into the castle. The walls looked beaten down and very close  
to collapsing in on the castle. She felt as if one false step and a sudden sharp noise could  
send the whole thing falling in on her. However, this was only a dream and people are  
never harmed in their dreams.  
  
"Is it really a dream?" Sarah asked herself. It soothed her frazzled nerves to hear a  
noise in this silent tomb.  
  
Sarah stood in the middle of the throne room with a shocked expression on her  
lovely face. The mighty throne that had been the center of leadership for the infamous  
Goblin King stood before her. It had split neatly in two. It was almost like an earthquake  
had ravaged through the Underground and destroyed everything with it. Sarah knew that  
it was much worse than that.  
  
She stepped on to the stairs that led towards the room that had housed her final  
confrontation with Jareth nearly six years ago. She was only able to move on the stairs for  
a few feet. They abruptly ended at a deep chasm. Sarah peered down and realized that  
she could not see the bottom.  
  
"Sarah," an accented voice stated from behind her.  
  
Sarah nearly fell into the gorge from her startle. She quickly stood straight and  
turned to face the man who had spoken to her.  
  
Jareth stood in front of her. His wispy blonde hair was free to lay on his shoulders.   
He had a cocky grin on his face in spite of the destruction his world had endured. He was  
dressed as he had been when he had first come to take Toby away from her. His eyes  
burned with a blue light that acted almost like lightening against his dark pupils.  
  
As if cued, thunder erupted closer and sent a chill through Sarah's body. The  
lightening followed shortly after and highlighted both of them with it's eerie white light.   
The next second the rain burst from the clouds and attacked the weakened castle with  
fury.  
  
A coarse of emotions surged through Sarah's body. She was relieved to see  
something had lasted through the downfall off the Underground. If Jareth had been  
defeated as well, it would mean the end of this magical place.   
  
However, Jareth being there also caused an intense hatred to light up again within  
her. She had tried so hard to stifle the anger for so many years. It seemed that it would  
take much longer to rid herself of the useless emotion. She had defeated Jareth and had  
been rid of him. There was a knowledge inside of herself that she would never be really  
free of him and the hatred would never be totally gone. It's fire would continue to burn in  
her for the rest of her life.  
  
Jareth walked closer to her with the same air of confidence as he had used many  
times before. His long black cape drifted behind him and caught in a gust of air from a  
near window. He smiled again and then looked out the window in the castle wall. His  
good spirits seemed to droop slightly as he saw what was left of his kingdom.  
  
"Why do you bring me here?" Sarah demanded.  
  
Her jaw tightened and she had to repress an urge to place her fists on her hips.   
Her question brought no response from the Goblin King. He simply gazed out the  
window, as if in a trance.   
  
He turned to her and the fire in his eyes flicked off suddenly and revealed a pain so  
deep that Sarah was barely able to keep from breaking into tears. In the next second the  
cold fire was back and he straightened himself up and glared down at her with a teasing  
manner.  
  
"You ask why I have brought you here?" he asked her.  
  
Sarah was still trying to understand what the emotion deep in his eyes had been.   
His answer caught her off guard. She could only stammer for a few moments and then she  
fought to regain control. The worst mistake would be to let him frighten her into  
submission. She knew that she would lose if that ever should happen.  
  
"You didn't answer me, Jareth." she replied.  
  
Her own eyes had grown cold and cruel with hatred towards the man. Sarah knew  
that she had boundaries that she couldn't overstep. She had to be careful with her taunts.   
Jareth knew how to hurt very well. He knew how to take whatever was most precious.   
He especially knew how to get what he wanted.  
  
"You have no reason to talk with such venom. I am not the one responsible for  
you being here," Jareth said.  
  
He stepped up closer to her. His eyes were only inches away from hers and she  
could feel his warm breath on her neck. The memory of her dance with him when she was  
fifteen flitted through her mind. He was a handsome man, but she was not a teenager  
anymore. The childish crush on him had vanished a long time ago.  
  
"You have lost, Jareth, and I'm not part of this world anymore. The problems  
here don't involve me," she said viciously.  
  
Jareth glared into her eyes fiercely and then spun around. His cape hit against her  
legs as he rushed down the stairs. He turned and looked at her. His eyes flashed with  
dangerous fury. Sarah knew she had gone too far. She also knew that there was no  
taking back her words after they had exited her mouth.  
  
He pointed a gloved finger at her and scowled.  
  
"I wouldn't be so cocky, little girl!"  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
His voice followed her as she awoke from the dream. He seemed to echo  
throughout her room and then slowly fade away. Sarah was bathed in a cool sweat and  
her sheets had tangled around her in an uncomfortable jumble. She kicked at them and  
finally managed to free her slender legs.  
  
She looked over at her shelves to the right of her bed. All of her beloved animals  
and dolls sat there. They watched her as she slept and dreamt. Sarah looked all around  
her old room, trying to convince herself that the dream was entirely over. It had seemed  
so real. She had actually thought that she was in the Underground with Jareth once again.  
  
Sarah had come home for her birthday. Her parents had insisted that she spend it  
with them. Sarah knew that there was no talking them out of it. She hadn't been by for a  
visit for some time and they wanted to see her open her presents. Twenty-one was a very  
important year, after all.  
  
She had been attending an acting school on a full scholarship. It was what she had  
always dreamed of becoming ever since she had first seen her Mother on stage. That, of  
course, was her real mother. She had left Sarah years ago to be with her co-star. Sarah's  
stepmother was far less glamorous, but she was always there.  
  
Sarah had resented her Stepmother. She had hated her little brother and had made  
the horrible mistake of offering him to the Goblin King. However, after she had returned  
with her more mature attitude, she was able to love both of them. She had managed to  
call her stepmother "Mom" a few years ago.   
  
Sarah walked over to the mirror and looked at it carefully. For some reason she  
wasn't ready to admit that the dream was all over. In fact, she was quite sure that  
something didn't feel right. Sarah tried to convince herself that she was just upset about  
the dream. It had scared her.  
  
She sat down in her old familiar chair and gazed at the mirror intently. She  
thought about the Underground and how it had been in utter destruction. That was  
probably what was bothering her so much. It was a magical place and seeing it in ruin was  
devastating for her.   
  
Sarah's hand wandered down to the top drawer in her desk. She carefully opened  
it and kept her eyes glued to the mirror. She couldn't dare to look inside. The flood of  
memories could easily overpower her in her weakened state. Then she might see anything.  
  
Sarah's hands found the beaten, leather cover of her book of "The Labyrinth" and  
brought it quickly to the top of her desk. She slammed the drawer shut and took in  
several deep breaths. Sarah opened the book to where she had last placed her mark before  
throwing that part of her past into dark confinement.  
  
"'Through Dangers Untold and Hardships Unnumbered...," she muttered to  
herself.  
  
Sarah looked back at the mirror and gazed at her own face.  
  
"Give me the child," she demanded in hushed tones.  
  
Her eyes watched the mirror carefully for any changes. She waited a whole  
minute, but nothing happened. Sarah threw open the drawer and tossed the book  
carelessly inside. She slammed it shut and succeeded in slamming her finger as well.  
  
"Oh, Damn!" Sarah exclaimed as she held her throbbing finger in the other hand.   
  
She placed it in her mouth and sucked it tenderly. The finger was hot and  
throbbed relentlessly. She looked down at it and frowned slightly. It was all that she  
needed to make this day totally perfect. Sarah shook her head at her foolishness.  
  
She glanced back at the mirror to fix her disheveled hair and saw him looming  
behind her. He was in all his glory. The long black cape remained over his shoulders.   
However, he had changed his clothes. He wore a midnight-blue shirt and a black vest.   
His tight pants were nearly the same color as his shirt. His gloved hands were clasped  
together.  
Sarah blinked in surprise and he was gone. Or had he ever been there? She closed  
her eyes and then looked at the mirror again. The only thing to greet her was her slightly  
white face. Jareth was gone.   
  
"No, he had never been there. The stupid games are playing with your mind  
again, Sarah," she thought to herself.  
  
Sarah grabbed her brush and quickly worked at the horrible tangles in her thick  
mane of brunette hair. She paced the room as she combed her hair, attempting to  
convince herself that everything was happening because she had come back to her old  
home. She had come back to too many harmful memories. She would have to leave  
sooner than expected.  
  
"Sarah?" her father called from the other side of the door," Are you all right? We  
heard you yell."  
  
Sarah took one more look back at the mirror to be sure that she was truly alone.   
She glanced around her room as well and then walked over to her door. She opened it  
and looked at her father's worried face.  
  
"I'm fine, Dad. I'll be down in a bit," she responded with a strained smile. She  
hoped that her father wouldn't notice the effort it took her to look happy.  
  
He nodded uncertainly and headed away from her room. She waited until he had  
started down the stairs before she closed the door again. All she needed was for her  
parents to think that she was crazy.   
  
Sarah quickly rushed over to her closet and threw it open. She looked around it to  
be sure that she wasn't going to be surprised by someone from the Underground. She  
laughed a little at her paranoia and pulled out a shirt and some pants.  
  
Sarah dressed quickly. The thoughts of her dream still pestered her mind. She  
couldn't understand what was wrong. She had had dreams about it before. They had left  
her shortly after waking. This dream was just being stubborn.   
  
Sarah made her way down the stairs two at a time and walked into the kitchen  
with a smile at her family. Toby looked up at her and beamed. Sarah sat down by him  
and playfully ruffled his thick golden hair. Toby batted at her arm and laughed wildly.  
  
He looked at Sarah with love and awe. Sarah knew that there was a special bond  
between them that most siblings never felt. They trusted each other totally and enjoyed  
being with each other.   
  
"Now, now, no playing at the table, please," Her Mom demanded.  
  
She looked at Sarah for some help. Sarah pulled her hand away from Toby, but  
bent down by him and whispered into his ear.  
  
"Later," she whispered.  
  
Toby looked up at his big sister and smiled broadly. She smiled back at him, her  
dream was momentarily forgotten. Sarah turned back to her parents and offered them a  
shrug. Her father sighed, but she knew that he was trying to keep from laughing. It was  
good to be with family again.   
  
"So Sarah, do you have any interesting things happening?" her father inquired.  
  
Sarah bit her lip shortly and set her fork down by her plate. She looked at him and  
managed an excited smile. Things had been going fairly well, but something inside her had  
prevented her from enjoying them. If she let her parents know that she wasn't happy, they  
would demand that she move back home.  
  
Her mother had been very much against the idea of moving to such a big city as  
New York. It was dirty and lacked morals. She didn't want to see Sarah damaged by her  
new surroundings. Sarah had simply laughed at her Mother's worried nature and  
shrugged the warning off. If she wanted to act she had to make it in New York.  
  
The life there was busy and exciting. She never really had any time to herself.   
That was good in most ways. If she had extra time her mind would always wander to  
thoughts of the Labyrinth and her friends that she had left. It was hard for her to let go of  
all of the magic and fantasy. If she wanted to grow up she knew that she had to.  
  
"It's lovely Dad. My teachers say that I'm a great actress and they really think that  
I'll be going somewhere soon. I'm going to be in a play very soon," Sarah replied.  
  
She dreaded her father's next question. It was always the same every time she  
visited. He wanted to know if she had a boyfriend. She had gone out on an occasional  
date, but that was as far as her relationships went. Sarah didn't know what was keeping  
her from letting anyone get close.  
  
"Do you have any guys that I should know about?" his eyes sparkled with  
anticipation.  
  
"Oh, Dad. I've been so busy with school and the plays that I've been in. I really  
don't have time for a relationship. If I do get involved with someone you'll be the first  
one to know," Sarah explained.  
  
It was the same old excuse that she had been using for years. It was mostly  
truthful. She was busy, but she also knew that she could easily slip a few dates in each  
week if she wanted to. That would be more than enough time to meet someone nice.   
  
Her father looked at her carefully and then lifted his coffee cup to his mouth and  
sipped gently. Her mother looked at Sarah and then to her husband. Then she shook her  
head and continued to eat the rest of her breakfast. Sarah glanced at her and then  
hurriedly looked away.  
  
Her gaze fell to the floor. It had been scattered with several of Toby's toys. Sarah  
guessed that he had been playing in here while waiting for breakfast to be ready. Her eyes  
fell on a toy that seemed to stand out from the rest. Her heart leaped into her throat and  
she tried desperately not to let her parents see her shock.  
  
Her old stuffed fox laid among the cars and trucks that had been carelessly pushed  
into the corner. It was the fox that looked exactly like Sir Didymus. Sarah could hear the  
gallant knight's voice in her head. She had to stifle a laugh as she thought about him and  
his less than courageous steed, Ambrosias.  
  
Sarah rose from her chair and grabbed her stuffed animal from the ground. She  
dusted some cobwebs from one of his ears and then placed him tenderly on her lap. When  
she looked up again everyone was looking at her.  
  
"Did you bring this down to play with, Toby?" Sarah asked with a smile. She  
didn't mind her brother playing with her old toys. She was simply curious why he would  
pick Sir Didymus out of all the rest of her stuffed animals.  
  
Toby shook his head and then continued playing with his eggs. He wasn't about to  
eat them. However, they worked very well as building material. He had a nice dog  
forming on his plate. His mother noticed him and snatched the plate away.  
  
"No playing with your food, Toby," she scolded. She set the plate on the ground  
and whistled for Merlin.  
  
The large Sheep Dog arose from his resting place in the living room and stretched  
his old bones. Sarah had been surprised that her dear dog was still alive. He was close to  
eleven years old. Merlin lumbered over to the plate and proceeded to quickly eat the eggs  
and lick the plate clean.  
  
Sarah returned her attention to her stuffed animal. It was strange that he would be  
here, especially if Toby hadn't ever brought him down. Sarah shrugged. Perhaps, her  
brother had forgotten what he had brought down to play with.   
  
"Sarah?" Toby asked excitedly.  
  
Sarah drew her attention away from the toy and turned to her little brother. His  
brown eyes were bright with excitement. He was wiggling uncontrollably and she was  
surprised that he was able to stay seated.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"I have something to show you! It's your birthday present!" Toby exclaimed.  
  
"Now, Toby, we decided that we would give Sarah her presents after dinner  
tonight. Don't you think that it would be more special then?" her mother asked.  
  
Toby's eyes suddenly lost their excitement. He looked like he would break into  
tears at any moment. Sarah looked at her mother and father and then back to Toby.   
There was really no reason not to look at his surprise early. He didn't look like he could  
stand the wait.  
  
"I think that it would be much more special to see your surprise in the morning.   
You just have me so excited, I don't think I could wait all those hours for dinnertime,"  
Sarah replied.  
  
Toby jumped from his seat and grabbed Sarah's hand and tugged at her. Sarah  
laughed and placed Sir Didymus on the table. The fox fell on his side as she rushed out  
the door with her brother.  
  
Toby burst through the back door, dragging Sarah behind him. He leaped down  
the stairs and released her hand. He stopped at their fence. Directly behind the house was  
the forest. Sarah could remember the times when she would play her fantasy games in the  
forest. It always had a strange magical feel to it. The old trees and the sweet smell of  
flowers in the springtime added to the magic.  
  
Toby fell to the ground and squirmed between some of his mother's bushes. Sarah  
looked back at the house. It would be horrible if Toby got caught ruining the bushes.   
However, he didn't seem to be worried about being punished.  
  
Toby backed out of the bushes with a shoebox in his grimy hands. The box was  
covered with loose dirt. Toby had tied a red ribbon around the present and had scribbled  
her name on the top of the box.   
  
"I found it in the forest and I thought that you should have it. It reminded me of  
the stories you tell me," Toby explained.  
  
Sarah had told Toby about her adventures through the labyrinth. He loved to hear  
about it again and again. Of course, she hadn't mentioned that she was the girl in the  
story and that he actually was the baby. Sarah didn't think that it would be a smart thing  
to tell an over imaginative boy.  
  
She took the box and wiped the dirt from the top. She didn't want the present  
inside to get dirty. Toby had obviously gone through a lot of trouble to keep the present  
hidden and safe. That was one of the things that made it so special for Sarah. She pulled  
at the ribbon and then stuck it in her pocket. Toby watched, barely able to control his  
anticipation.  
  
"Hurry Sarah, hurry!" he demanded.  
  
"Okay, okay. Hold on," Sarah said with a laugh.  
  
She opened the box and peered inside. A strange glow lit the box with a blue light.   
Sarah opened the box entirely and gasped at the sight. There was a single piece of tissue  
paper over the ball. However, Sarah knew what it was without even lifting up the paper.  
  
She glanced down at Toby. His excitement had fallen from his face. He only  
looked worried and sad. He had obviously seen how Sarah had reacted to his present.   
Sarah shook the fear from her mind and then quickly pulled the paper away from the ball.  
  
She lifted the crystal ball from the box and gazed into it. It was the thing that was  
emitting a faint blue glow. Sarah managed a slight smile. Toby watched her carefully and  
then he too smiled and clapped his hands.   
  
Sarah's reality seemed to be falling in on her to reveal memories from the past. 


	2. Toby's Gift

Chapter two: Toby's Gift   
  
Toby's wide eyes watched Sarah carefully as she turned the perfect crystal around  
in her hand. She had imagined the glow. It had to just be a coincidence that the crystal  
happened to appear after her dream and the stuffed animal. It was a simple toy that Toby  
had found in the woods. Some other child had probably left it there.  
  
She placed it gently back in the box and replaced the top. Sarah took a deep  
breath and then smiled down at Toby. He had no idea that the crystal would affect her in  
this way. There wasn't a point in making him feel bad. It was obvious that he had been  
fairly proud of his present.  
  
"It's beautiful, Toby. I'll put it in my room at college just as soon as I get back  
there. Thank you so much for giving this to me," she said.  
  
Toby blushed slightly and ran the toe of his sneaker in the dirt. He looked down at  
the patterns that he was making and then looked up at Sarah. She noticed that he had  
smudged dirt on one of his round cheeks. She bent down by him and gently wiped it off.  
  
"Do you really like it? I thought that it was like the crystals that Goblin King had.   
I found it a few days ago. Mommy thought that it was really pretty and she said that it  
would make a great present for you!" Toby explained.  
  
Sarah got back to her feet and brushed some dirt from the knees of her pants. She  
picked the box up and cringed slightly as the crystal rolled to one side when it shifted in  
her grasp. Sarah took Toby's hand in hers and led him back to the house. Their mother  
would be waiting to hear about how much Sarah liked the gift.  
  
"Run on inside, Toby. I need to get something. I'll be right in," Sarah remarked.  
  
Toby looked at her and then rushed up the stairs. He threw open the door and  
barged into the kitchen. Sarah could hear her mother yelling at Toby to take off his dirty  
shoes before he ruined her entire kitchen floor. She sounded very upset with him. Then  
the door slammed shut. Sarah could imagine her mother yelling about the door slamming  
too. She stifled a laugh with her hand and then turned to walk back to the fence and the  
gate that led to the woods.  
  
"Why are these memories haunting me so much today?" Sarah asked the empty  
backyard.  
  
She swung open the old gate and bit her lip as the hinges creaked noisily. She  
didn't want Toby to know that she was going into the woods without him. She would  
never be able to get rid of him. She left the gate open to avoid another noisy screech. If  
her mother happened to notice it open, there would be another lecture. Her mother was  
full of lectures for every occasion.  
  
Sarah walked down her old worn in path. She knew the way blindfold and  
backwards. She had traveled the path many many times. Most of the time she had been a  
heroine on her dangerous quest. Sarah smiled at her childhood games.  
  
She held the box in front of herself and carefully opened the top. The crystal still  
sat in the far corner and there was no faint blue glow this time. Sarah turned off the path  
and then sat down on a fallen tree. She lifted the crystal carefully from the box and gazed  
at it. Why would anyone leave such a beautiful crystal ball in the middle of the woods?   
Why would any child have such a strange toy? These questions pestered her mind and its  
rational explanations.  
  
"'It's a crystal. Nothing more. But if you turn it this way, and look into it, it'll  
show you your dreams.'"  
  
The words of the Goblin King seemed to sweep through the dark woods. Sarah  
shivered. She quickly placed the crystal back into the box and pushed the top back on.   
She couldn't stand to look at it any longer. Her hatred for Jareth burned even brighter as  
she thought about the offer he had made when he first had taken Toby. She grew angry at  
herself when she remembered that she had been very tempted to take the crystal and  
experience her dreams.   
  
Sarah looked out into the woods and noticed a white flash in the midst of the  
brown and greens of the ancient trees. She watched as the white flew in between the trees  
and finally came to rest on a high branch. Sarah set her box down and then carefully rose  
from her seat to get a better look at the strange white flash.  
  
She pushed through a thick bush and gasped as one of the twigs scraped across her  
arm. She held her hand to the small cut and continued toward the animal at the top of the  
tree. Sarah stopped behind another bush and gazed up into the tree in which it had rested.   
Her breath caught in her throat as she realized what she was looking at.  
  
A white owl was perched in the tree. It's wide, yellow eyes scanned the woods  
carefully. It opened its beak and let out a low hoot. Sarah ducked further behind the bush  
to keep out of its sight. The owl instantly turned its gaze to the bush she had ducked  
behind. Its wise eyes watched carefully.  
  
Sarah peered over the shrubbery and found herself staring at the owl's large eyes.   
The owl cocked its head to one side as if to ask her why she was trying to hide. Sarah  
stood up defiantly and glared at the owl. It gave another hoot and then flew into the air  
with a flurry of wings and feathers. Sarah watched as the owl flew between the trees and  
rose into the sky. She watched the path it had taken long after the bird was entirely out of  
sight.  
  
Sarah finally managed to draw her eyes away from the empty skies and then  
started back towards the shoe box that she had left by the fallen tree. She knew that many  
owls stopped in the woods. She had seen them all through her life. It was probably just  
another common owl. However, it was starting to seem that the strange occurrences of  
the day were more than coincidence. The owl had looked at her with so much  
intelligence. She had only seen an owl like that in the Underground. That owl had been  
the Goblin King. She shuddered at the thought of him watching her in her beloved woods.  
  
Sarah bent down and lifted her present from Toby into her arms. The crystal slid  
to the corner of the box, as it had done when she had held it earlier. The box felt strangely  
warm to her touch. She would be glad when she was able to set it down in the house.   
Sarah didn't want Toby to know how much his present had upset her. He had thought  
that he was doing something thoughtful. He had no idea that the stories Sarah told were  
about her real past.  
  
"Milady!" a whisper drifted up from behind her.   
  
Sarah spun on her heels, forgetting the fragile crystal that she held in her arms. It  
bounced from one side of the box to the other. However, it remained in one piece. Sarah  
only briefly worried about the delicate gift. The majority of her attention was on the voice  
she had heard in the forest. Was it truly Sir Didymus? Her face instantly broke into a  
smile from the thought.  
  
She saw the gallant fox atop Ambrosias. He held his small staff in one hand and in  
the other he clutched his hat. Sarah noticed that he was bowing. Didymus straightened  
himself and then replaced his hat on his head. He smiled at her and then urged Ambrosias  
towards her.  
  
"Oh! Sir Didymus! I never thought I would see you again!" Sarah called.  
  
She carelessly set her box on the ground and rushed up to her dear friend.   
Ambrosias seemed to recognize her. He sped his run up a little too fast and Didymus  
toppled off. Sarah stifled a laugh but fell to her knees to allow the approaching dog to lick  
her. She closed her eyes as his warm tongue covered her cheeks with kisses.  
  
"Ambrosias, stop. I don't need another bath," she teased.  
  
"Sarah? Are you all right?" her mother asked from above her.  
  
Sarah bit her lip and pushed the dog away from her. She quickly wiped her face  
and opened her eyes. Her mother stood over her with her arms crossed over her chest.   
Sarah got to her feet and wiped her pants off again. She knew that she would have to  
change them after all the kneeling she had done that morning.  
  
"I-I'm fine. Why do you ask?" Sarah asked.  
  
Her mother nudged Merlin away from the shoe box on the ground and urged him  
to go back to the house. Merlin gave her a glance and then lumbered away. Sarah  
watched him go sadly. She had thought that she had seen her friends, when in reality she  
had only seen her own old dog.  
  
"You called Merlin by a different name, Sarah. We're worried about you. Your  
father and I feel like the school is too much work for a young woman. You need to take a  
break and enjoy life, go on some dates and go to some parties. How many parents do you  
know who tell their children to have more fun?" she demanded.  
  
She handed the box to Sarah and then started back towards the house. Sarah  
rushed after her. It was one of the many joys of being home, fighting with Mother. Sarah  
had learned to love her stepmother, but they fought constantly. Her mother was a worried  
person by nature, and Sarah wasn't. It was as simple as that.  
  
"I can handle school fine. In fact, I think that I should be leaving soon. I think  
that my play's first rehearsal is tomorrow. If I want to be ready I need to leave tonight,"  
Sarah explained.  
  
Her mother looked at her and let out an exasperated sigh. She threw her hands up  
in defeat and then walked the rest of the way into the house without a look back at Sarah.   
She closed the door gently behind herself.  
  
Sarah looked back at the woods one last time. There was something wrong. She  
couldn't deny the obvious anymore. She had seen far too many clues hinting that the  
Underground was coming back into her life. Sarah didn't want to face it again. She had  
to find sanctuary at her college. It was away from the memories and the past.   
  
Still, there was a part of her that had grown uncontrollably excited at the prospect  
of returning to the magical Underground. That was the part that hated the monotony of  
school and acting classes and social circles and the rest of normal life. That was the part  
that kept her from fitting in with the rest of the students and prevented her from enjoying  
herself with her success in acting and school. Further, it also kept her from going out with  
anyone more than once. Deep down inside she compared everyone to the Goblin King  
whom she had danced with in an enchanted ballroom years before. That was the part that  
knew that she felt something for Jareth, other than hate. She could feel the emotion burn  
in the deepest recesses of her soul. That was her love for him that would never leave, no  
matter how hard she tried to convince herself that she hated the man and that he was her  
eternal enemy. However, that emotion was hidden beneath the suffering and the anger he  
had built in her. It was very well covered and Sarah would never allow it to break free...   
NEVER! 


	3. Failed Magic

Chapter Three: Failed Magic  
  
The white owl flew over the vast Underground without a glance down at it. He  
glided through the air and swooped down lower in order to fly through one of the  
windows in the castle wall. The owl lighted on the ground and immediately transformed  
back into human shape. The Goblin King glared out of the window.  
  
He swept his white cape behind himself with an angry flick of his hand and  
stamped out of the room. Jareth threw open the heavy wooden door and it slammed  
against the stone wall. Several goblins who had been enjoying plucking feathers from a  
dirty chicken cringed at the sound and the sight of their angry king.  
  
He glared down at them and barely sustained an urge to kick them down the hall.   
Instead he bent down by them and smiled. They smiled back at him with their big goofy  
grins. They were both too stupid to understand anything he might have tried to tell them.  
  
"You bumbling idiots, go and make yourself useful with the rest of the troops!" he  
ordered.  
  
The two quickly rose to their feet and scurried down the hall. The chicken was left  
forgotten. It looked at its attackers with stupid glassy eyes and then headed the opposite  
way down the hall. Jareth watched it walk away with little interest and then walked back  
towards his throne room. It seemed that the goblins had forgotten their orders in the  
matter of minutes he had been gone.   
  
Jareth marched into his throne room and nearly fell into his throne. He draped one  
leg over the arm and then put his face into his hands. He was alone for the time being and  
it was just as well. He didn't know how much more of the goblins he could take that day.   
His patience had worn thin and the many problems that had begun to occur a few months  
earlier didn't help his mood much.  
  
Then there was the stubborn girl! He clenched his jaw slightly at the thought of  
her attempting to defy him. It was unheard of. She would look at him with an  
overwhelming anger burning in her eyes. However, she would also bite her lip and  
tremble slightly in fear and anxiety. He smiled as he thought of the fear he had forced  
upon her. He thought of the cruelty that she had sustained.  
  
Suddenly a deep pain gripped his chest in tight hands. Jareth's blue eyes opened  
wide and he had to stifle a cry form the immense agony flaring through his body. He  
placed a hand over his chest and felt his heart flutter unnaturally. Jareth pulled himself to  
his weak legs and nearly collapsed on the ground. He steadied himself with the arm of his  
throne and staggered out of the throne room. The entire room seemed to spin in and out  
of focus. He lunged at the doorway and gripped it tightly in one white hand. A black  
shade dropped momentarily before his eyes and blinded him. Jareth veered to the left and  
collided with the stone wall. He groped blindly along the wall in search of his chambers.   
The doorknob struck his arm and he pushed the door open violently.  
  
"What do you want from me?" he demanded in a weakened voice.  
  
There was no answer to his cry. He stumbled towards his bed and sat down,  
holding his throbbing head in his hands. The pain subsided and vanished as quickly as it  
had struck him. He brought his head up and gazed around his chamber with bloodshot  
eyes. The room was finally in focus.   
  
The mirror caught the reflection of a different man. The man was a little thinner  
than he had been a few short weeks earlier. His face was white and covered in a fine  
sheen of sweat. His intense blue eyes were rimmed with red. Jareth took a deep breath  
and turned his gaze away from his reflection.  
  
He was silently joyful that the goblins had left to follow his orders. It was better  
that they didn't see their king in such a weakened state. He had been able to hide his  
mystery illness from them for the time being. However, the attacks were progressively  
getting worse and they lasted much longer than when he had first felt them.  
  
His mind wandered slightly to his plan. There wasn't much time left until he  
would be calling on her to assist him. Jareth could only hope that his strength would hold  
up until after she had been properly controlled.   
  
Jareth carefully made his way to his feet and walked towards the crystal orb that  
floated in midair. He sat on the navy blue couch by it and stared deeply into its clear  
surface. His magic was failing quickly. The crystals no longer appeared all of the time. In  
fact, the faint blue glow that the orb had emitted for so long had flashed off and on over  
the past weeks. He didn't know why their power was dying and why he had acquired a  
strange illness around the same time the magic failed.  
  
"What is this strange plague that has struck the Underground and myself?" Jareth  
asked the large crystal. It's glow faltered slightly and then returned.  
  
He shook his head and then rose from the couch. His gaze wandered over his  
chamber and rested on the mirror. He had stood before that mirror often and watched  
Sarah. It wasn't until today that she had seen him. He didn't understand how she had  
used it. However, she had used it and she had seen him, if only for a brief moment. Jareth  
shook the thought from his head and then continued out of his room.  
  
"Your highness!" a goblin soldier called as he bowed deeply.  
  
Jareth stopped in the middle of his stride and looked at the small dirty goblin. He  
crossed his arms across his chest and waited for the goblin to continue. His strength was  
beginning to return and his bad mood had lifted slightly.   
  
"We was doing as you had told us and then something happened. The light died!   
It died for a little and then came back and...and..," the goblin stopped as if he was still in  
shock from the whole ordeal.  
  
Jareth started walking again. He had no time for the stupid tales this goblin was  
trying to tell him. They made no sense. The light died? It was stupid and obviously  
something that the goblins would say. Jareth decided that it would be smarter to just  
ignore them.  
  
The goblin scurried after Jareth on its short, stubby legs. It tripped and landed on  
its stomach. Jareth turned and looked down at the strange little thing. His mood had  
improved, but his patience was starting to wear thin from the ignorant beast.  
  
"Your highness. I was sent to have you look at the moaning woods. There's  
something wrong, I'm sure," It demanded.  
  
Jareth sighed deeply and gestured with his hand. A crystal ball appeared in his  
formerly empty palm. Jareth spun it in his fingers and watched as it grew transparent and  
the woods appeared inside. He watched as the ball scanned over the woods and revealed  
nothing out of the ordinary. If the goblin had been lying to him he would soon find  
himself in the bog of eternal stench.  
  
Suddenly the crystal showed a break in the lush trees. The browns and greens of  
the forest ended abruptly and formed into a horrible shade of gray. Jareth stared in shock  
at the awful sight that was unfolding itself before his very eyes. He abruptly ceased the  
spinning of the crystal and it disappeared. Jareth attempted to pull another one from  
nothing, but he came up with nothing. The magic was failing again.  
  
The forest had seemed normal at first glance. However, there was something very  
wrong inside its calm exterior. The trees had died and withered closer to the spot that had  
shocked him so. There was one tree that stood apart from all the others. It was the tree  
that had been very regular until a few short minutes earlier. That one simple tree gave  
Jareth all the proof he needed to confirm the fact that the magic was draining from the  
Underground. The tree had turned to stone! 


	4. A Different Emotion

Chapter Four: A Different Emotion   
  
"Sarah, won't you reconsider? We love having you back home and I know that  
Toby will be heartbroken to know that you're leaving early. Maybe you just need to get  
used to the home again. It's been so long since you've last been here," her father argued.  
  
Sarah folded one of her blouses and piled it on top of her other clothes in her  
suitcase. She glanced around the room quickly and then returned to her bag to close it up.   
Her father's hand fell on hers and pulled her away from her bag. Sarah let out an  
exasperated sigh.  
  
"Dad, you know that I have to get back there. I need to get ready for the play and  
study for some tests. I really don't have enough time for a vacation. You have to  
understand," Sarah said as she pulled her hand free and zipped up her bag.  
  
She had had enough of the memories and the sudden appearances of people from  
the Underground. She couldn't take it anymore. Her father and mother where obviously  
worried about her and what was happening. She had been acting strange the whole day.   
Of course, this was because of the dream and all the other strange events that day.  
  
Sarah lifted her heavier bag. Her presents had been stuffed inside. Toby's crystal  
had been placed in her purse. Sarah had wrapped it carefully in tissues and paper. She  
didn't want the delicate thing to break on accident. However, Sarah was fairly certain that  
the crystal wouldn't break.   
  
"I'll wait for you downstairs then. I'm sorry that you couldn't stay longer, Sarah.   
We enjoy having you here," her father remarked as he drudged out of the door and down  
the stairs.  
  
Sarah stopped at her desk and looked at the top drawer. It felt like the book was  
calling to her and begging to be brought with her. Sarah inched closer to the desk and  
placed one trembling hand on the drawer. She opened it and reached her hand in to grab  
the worn book out of the darkness. Perhaps, some of her past needed to be left in the  
open. She stuffed the book carelessly in her purse and slammed the drawer. This time she  
kept her fingers safely out of the way.   
  
There were some things in the drawer that she couldn't bring herself to look at yet,  
maybe never. The music box that had been given to her by Jonathan, her real mother's  
love, was one of those dangerous items. She was sure that just one look at the lovely  
woman on the top of the box would bring back unwanted memories about the dance with  
Jareth. Sarah shivered slightly and then rushed out of her room.  
  
"Sarah?" a meek voice called from the stairs.   
  
Sarah looked down and noticed Toby sitting at the top of the stairs. His little face  
was downcast and his eyes were wet with tears. Sarah could feel her heart sink as she saw  
her brother wipe at the tears running down his cheeks. She walked over to him and sat  
down at his side. Sarah placed a tender arm over his trembling shoulder.  
  
"Toby, you know that I'm going to return and that I'll call you just as soon as I get  
to my college. I have to get back for school. You understand how important school is?"  
she asked gently.  
  
Toby nodded slowly. Sarah rubbed his shoulder and then got back to her feet.   
She reached down and grabbed Toby's hand. He got to his feet reluctantly and walked  
very slowly down the stairs. Sarah knew that he was trying to postpone her leaving as  
much as possible, but she had to go. Toby would have to learn to accept that her life  
wasn't here any longer. They stopped at the front door.  
  
"I'll miss you guys but, it won't be that long before I come back," Sarah said as  
she glanced down at Toby. He was still crying silently.  
  
Her mother stepped up and hugged her tightly. She then stepped back and bit her  
lips. She passed a hand over her eyes and then placed it on her trembling mouth. Sarah  
couldn't believe that her stepmother was actually crying.   
  
"I didn't want to cry. I-I'll miss you Sarah," she said as she attempted to gain  
control of herself.  
  
Sarah hugged her again and then hugged her father. He patted her on the back  
three times and then stepped out of the embrace. Her father had never been a very  
affectionate man. Sarah was surprised that he had hugged her at all.   
  
"You take care of yourself," he said as she headed out the door.  
  
Sarah climbed in her car and waved to them. She closed the door and let out a  
long sigh. It was always hard to say good bye. She remembered when she had said good  
bye to her Underground friends. It had been the hardest moment in her life. However,  
she knew that she had to do it so that she could move on.  
  
Sarah pulled out of the driveway and quickly made her way on to the street. Her  
spirits lifted as she drove further away from her house. She loved her family, but  
something had been bothering her ever since she had gotten back into her hometown. It  
was probably just hard for her to remember the past.  
  
As she drove her mind began to wander. She thought about everything she had  
seen and the dream she had experienced. They had never appeared to her before. Maybe  
it was just being home, but Sarah seriously doubted it. She was terrified that the  
Underground was really in danger. Perhaps, her dream had been the truth. If the  
Underground was dying then that would be a good reason for her old friends to approach  
her for help. However, why would the Goblin King appear to her?  
  
Sarah glanced down at the speedometer and gasped. She was going nearly sixty!   
Sarah returned her gaze to the road and stared right at a large reddish creature. It turned  
to face the car that was speeding towards it. Sarah slammed on the breaks and screamed  
as the car spun out of control.  
  
"Sarah! Sarah..need help!" Ludo cried from the middle of the road.  
  
Sarah tried in vain to regain control of the car. All she was thinking about was  
avoiding Ludo. She couldn't hit her dear friend! She could never forgive herself for that.   
Sarah watched as the world spun around her. She saw the tree moments before the  
collision and then she was thrown against the wheel and hit her head on the window.  
  
Sarah slumped back in her seat and felt consciousness begin to slip away from her.   
She blinked her eyes several times trying to stay awake, but the blackness was covering  
them in a thick veil.   
  
Sarah saw a white owl perch on her car moments before she totally blacked out.   
The owl was watching her with wide yellow eyes that were too wise to be anything but  
human. And as she drifted away, she felt strong arms lift her from the car and bring her to  
safety. After that, everything was black.  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
Sarah opened her eyes and looked around herself. She was gazing up into a  
brilliant blue sky. There were immense trees reaching up high above her. She looked to  
her side and noticed that she was laying in green clover. A large owl flew over her and  
Sarah sat up.  
  
"Jareth." she thought to herself in anger.   
  
She watched the owl fly towards the castle. It drifted out of sight behind a grove  
of large trees. She smiled and jumped to her feet. There was no doubt in her mind that  
she was in the Underground. It was in all of its glory once again. Sarah could even hear  
the music that had surrounded it before.  
  
Sarah glanced down at herself and noticed that her clothes had been changed from  
the ones she had worn in her car. She had on a light blue dress that was tight through the  
bodice and flowed out at the waist. It drifted lazily behind her from the breeze. Sarah  
touched the silky material and then spun around in a circle.  
  
She only thought briefly about the accident. She then let it drift out of her mind.   
The day was too perfect to worry about trivial matters. Obviously her friends had decided  
to bring her back to the Underground. She was relieved to see that it wasn't in danger  
and dying. In fact, it looked more marvelous than ever before. However, there was  
something different that she couldn't quite put her finger on.  
  
Sarah wandered through the old forest taking in the sweet smell of roses and  
honeysuckle that lingered in the warm morning air. There was a nice breeze blowing  
between the trees. It kept the day from being too hot. Sarah pulled the long dress up to  
step over some logs that laid across her path.  
  
She felt the ground shift strangely beneath her foot, but thought nothing of it.   
Sarah simply continued on with her walk. She took another step and had to fight a little to  
bring her foot away from the ground. Sarah glanced down at the ground and tried to step  
again. There was no ground for her foot to meet.   
  
"Oh!" she exclaimed as she fell into the bleak darkness of the pit.   
  
It felt like she had fallen for an eternity before she actually reached the rough  
ground. However, Sarah felt no pain from her landing. This convinced her that she was  
dreaming again. Sarah was getting upset with her strange dreams that seemed perfectly  
real.  
  
She stood up and attempted to observe her surroundings, but it was pitch black in  
the hole. Sarah shivered in the darkness. She remembered when she had fallen into the  
oubliette the last time. She remembered Hoggle had come down to get her out. Sarah  
could nearly hear her friend talking to her again.  
  
"...It's a place to put people to forget about them!" he had spoken ominously to  
her.  
Sarah wasn't even sure if she had fallen into another oubliette. If she only had a  
candle with her she could at least attempt to escape from her prison. Instead Sarah waited  
for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. There was a little light streaming down from where  
she had fallen. However, it looked miles away.  
  
A soft object brushed against her face and Sarah recoiled a little too quickly. Her  
back hit the wall of the hole harshly and dull pain coursed up her spine. Sarah was  
shocked. She had fallen from an enormous height and had felt nothing, but hitting a wall  
nearly caused her to cry in agony. It was strange.  
  
"You are in my debt, Sarah," the accented voice spoke from somewhere in the  
darkness.  
  
Sarah shot up and glared towards the direction the voice had come from. She  
could easily recognize who had spoken to her. Jareth was in here with her. Her heart beat  
sped up as she looked around for any sign of him.   
  
"It isn't fair! I can't even see you," she called to him.  
  
Jareth's cruel laughter bubbled out around her. It sounded like he was everywhere  
at once. Sarah spun in circles, trying to confront him. He was moving far too quickly for  
her to catch up. Finally Sarah leaned against the wall and waited for his laughter to  
subside.  
  
"Are you going to start with that again, Sarah? I was expecting much more from  
you this time," he chided. The merriment had gone out of his voice.  
  
"I am in no debt to you, Jareth. You haven't done anything generous for me,"  
Sarah reminded.  
  
A flash of orange light erupted from the corner of the hole. Jareth's face was  
illuminated as he lit a lantern and hung it on the wall near to himself. He then placed his  
gloved hands together and walked casually towards her.   
  
"You owe me your life, Sarah," he said with a smile.  
  
Sarah remembered the accident and the owl that had landed on her hood. She  
could also remember someone lifting her from the car. However, that had been when she  
was nearly unconscious. It was a very brief memory. Now Sarah understood why he had  
saved her from the car. Jareth simply wanted her to do him a favor as well. He always  
had selfish reasons for everything he did.  
  
"I don't owe you anything. Why are you barging into my life again? I haven't  
called on anyone," Sarah moaned.  
  
She tried desperately not to let his flashing eyes overpower her. It was a strenuous  
task. He was staring at her with extreme intensity that almost penetrated to her very soul.   
Sarah turned her gaze away from him and looked to the ground instead.   
  
Jareth watched her closely. He smiled slightly at her anger with him. He had  
saved her from the car. Now it was time for her to do something for him.  
  
"I will call on you," he reminded her.  
  
"I won't do anything for you! You can't force me to help you!" she spat her  
words out and then turned her gaze back to him.  
  
Jareth scowled. He had underestimated her determined nature and willpower  
again. He pulled a crystal from the air and thrust it towards her. The crystal exploded in a  
brilliant blue color. Sarah closed her eyes from the intensity and then opened them again.   
She found herself out of the hole.  
  
"I will have my way, Sarah," he threatened.  
  
Jareth started towards her, but then abruptly halted. He put his hands to his head  
and grimaced. He turned away from her and tried to use his crystals to leave, but they  
wouldn't listen to him. Jareth tried to resort to his owl form, but the transformation  
wouldn't occur. He was doomed to suffer in front of her.  
  
Sarah's anger fell away suddenly as she saw Jareth stagger away from her. He was  
obviously in pain. Sarah started towards him, curious about what was happening. She felt  
some strange heat emanating from him. Sarah reached out to touch his arm.   
  
Jareth suddenly turned to look at her. His blue eyes were filled with agony and  
confusion. The evil fire they usually held had disappeared with the pain. Jareth could only  
watch her as she reached out to touch him.   
  
Sarah's hand touched his arm. An electricity shot through her entire arm and a  
pain that was nearly sickening burst into her head. Sarah jumped away from him and fell  
to her knees. She pressed a shaky hand to her mouth and watched as Jareth straightened  
up.  
  
"Sarah, what's wrong?" he asked.  
  
Sarah was shocked with his changed nature. He reached out to help her up from  
the ground, but she drew away from his hands. Jareth's eyebrows came together as he  
looked down at her with concern. She got to her feet and looked at him carefully. What  
was causing the extreme change in him?  
  
"You don't have to play your games, Jareth. I won't fall for anymore sympathy on  
your part. You only want me to feel like I should owe you something. I don't owe you  
anything and I want to go home!" she demanded angrily.  
  
Jareth's anger surged back into his body. He rushed towards her with the speed of  
a cat and gripped her arm tightly. Sarah struggled against his grip and pushed at him with  
her other hand, yet he held on strong.  
  
"You are going to be back!" he stated.  
  
"No! No!....  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
"No, no...Let me go," Sarah cried in her sleep.   
  
She awoke in her dorm room. There was a fresh bandage on her head. Sarah  
attempted to look around her, but a nagging pain shot through her neck. She had  
probably sustained a whiplash from the accident. Sarah reached up and touched the  
bandage that had been gently placed on her head.  
  
"How did I get here?" she asked.  
  
"Hey, Sarah! Are you up?" her room mate asked from the other bed.   
  
She walked over to Sarah and sat down by her. Sarah smiled at her friend and  
then attempted to get up. She was struck by an extreme wave of vertigo. Sarah placed  
her hand on her head as she waited for the dizziness to work its way through her body.  
  
"I don't understand how I got here," Sarah complained.  
  
"Well, I don't know. I came in last night and you where here, asleep. You got  
really hurt last night, huh? You're lucky someone cared enough to bandage you up,"  
Sarah's room mate remarked.  
  
"Yeah, I guess someone must have cared," Sarah said softly.  
  
Sarah knew who had brought her to her college and mended her wounds, but she  
couldn't understand why he would do it. Why was Jareth helping her? He was her  
enemy, right? 


	5. Friends in Peril

Chapter Five: Friends In Peril  
  
The Goblin King forlornly touched his forehead in deep thought. There was much  
to think about as of lately. Many problems had presented themselves one after another,  
after another. Now Sarah had seen him in his weakened state. It was an event he had  
hoped would have never happened. However, it had and there was no way for him to  
reverse its occurrence.  
  
"No, there is a way," Jareth muttered to himself.  
  
He could always make her forget that it had happened. However, that would take  
precious magic, magic that was so scarce recently. Jareth refrained from using his crystals  
often. He had made the mistake of using one to help Sarah out of the deep hole into  
which she had fallen.   
  
It was almost like the magic was rebelling against him. He would use it once and  
then the horrid pain would strike with fury. Jareth shivered as he thought about the  
sickening agony he had been forced to endure over the past few weeks. It would soon be  
over with, once his plan was put into motion. Firstly, he had to bring Sarah back to him.  
  
Jareth glanced around the glass and crystal room in which he sat. The walls were  
of cut glass. Ruby cascades that had been made out of the most lush velvet material,  
draped across the walls. The far wall was lined with crystal shelves and upon the shelves  
rested ancient books. The books had been bound with gold and leather. They were  
magical, historical, and priceless. The only furniture in the room was a chair that had been  
lined in the same velvet as the cascading drapes.   
  
The center of the room was occupied by a smooth glass oval that had suspended  
itself in midair. The glass flashed momentarily and then returned to its normal state.   
Jareth's gaze fell on the glass. He waited to see if it had decided to cooperate with him,  
but it remained still.   
  
"These tiresome parlor tricks," Jareth moaned to himself.   
  
He rose from the chair and clasped his hands behind his back. He wore no cape  
that day. Jareth was dressed simply. He wore a white shirt that scooped down to the  
middle of his chest. His pants were slate gray and tight, as usual. He wore boots that  
reached nearly to his knee. His large amulet, that was dangling from his neck, swung as  
he walked around the crystallized room.  
  
He touched a section of a wall gently and it swung away from his touch. The wall  
was replaced by a large painting that had been worked on for years to achieve perfection.   
His blue eyes gazed into the girl's tender face. Her thick brunette hair drifted in a breeze  
that had been frozen forever in the painting. She was dressed as splendidly as a princess,  
but he still hadn't captured the special flame that burned in the girl's soul.   
  
"Sarah," he spoke in a whisper and touched her face with his hand.  
  
Jareth's amulet shone brilliantly. He felt the warmth from the necklace press  
against his fair skin and tremble slightly. Jareth pulled his hand away from the picture and  
grasped the amulet tightly. It burned his hand visciously and he dropped it.   
  
"I will have you back here, Sarah!" Jareth threatened.  
  
He tore the painting from the wall and threw it to the ground. There was no room  
for emotions. He had to face her as an opponent if he was going to succeed in regaining  
control of the magic. Everything was at stake and there was no room for mistakes of any  
kind. The Underground would certainly die if he should grow weak with her.  
  
Jareth threw open that glass door and walked out of his room. The goblins knew  
that they could never enter the room. They called it "bad room" or simply "danger".   
Jareth knew the room by no names. He only went there to think in silence. It was his only  
escape away from the dirty and bumbling goblins.  
  
"I say, let me go!" a voice rose up from the throne room.  
  
Jareth listened to the commotion and decided against walking the rest of the way.   
It sounded like he had guests. Jareth smiled at the thought and then instantly faded into  
nothing. He reappeared in the throne room, in front of the large congregation of goblins  
and his three new prisoners.  
  
Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didymus stopped their complaining abruptly and looked  
towards the Goblin King. Jareth smiled at them and then sat in his throne. The fox waited  
only a brief moment and then continued with his cries.  
  
"You beasts. Tis' not the way to fight! I say, let me face thee, Goblin King, and  
we shall fight to the death," Sir Didymus threatened as he struggled against the many  
goblins that had him restrained.  
  
"It shouldn't come to that my dear fellow," Jareth chided, "I have no fight with  
you three. I am simply using you as bait to lure someone else to my castle."  
  
Hoggle's eyes opened wide as he realized what Jareth was talking about. He  
pulled against the goblins' strong grip and tried to free himself. Jareth laughed at his  
attempt and then walked over to his former employee.  
"Why Hegwor," Jareth began.  
  
"Hoggle," he replied. He scowled at the Goblin King.  
  
"Are you angry with me? I dare say that you are trying to attack me! No, I must  
be wrong, you are just a simple coward."   
  
Hoggle turned his face to the ground and muttered something under his breath. It  
was true that Jareth had always been able to manipulate him, but Hoggle felt like he had  
courage. He had helped Sarah last time and he knew that he would help her a hundred  
times more, if she so needed. However, Hoggle hadn't seen Sarah for years. His courage  
had started to falter.  
  
Ludo moaned loudly from his position on the ground. The goblins had chained his  
arms and legs. Ludo could easily overpower them. It had been a last resort. Jareth  
walked over to the large beast and looked down at him. Ludo frowned and howled  
mightily. The sound echoed through the whole castle.  
  
"Man..bad!" Ludo cried.  
  
Jareth covered his ears and then waved his hand before Ludo's gaping mouth. The  
sound ended abruptly. Ludo opened his mouth to yell again, but no sound followed. He  
tried again, but Jareth had silenced him. Ludo closed his mouth and then snuffled a few  
times.  
  
"Take these creatures to..to," Jareth's pain was flaring up in his head as he spoke.  
  
"Take them to the dungeon," he finished quickly. Jareth stomped out of the room  
and then retreated to the safety of his chamber.  
  
Sir Didymus watched him leave and then looked over to his friends. Ludo was of  
no help at the time. He had been chained and lost his voice. There was no chance of  
calling the rocks for help.  
  
"Pity, would have been a good show," Didymus thought to himself.   
  
He looked to the three goblins that were dragging him towards the dungeon. They  
were stupid brutes and not very much bigger than himself. Didymus glanced at Hoggle.   
The dwarf was walking behind his captors with his head hung down. He wouldn't be  
much help either.   
  
"Fair play hath no meaning to thee heathens. Tis' poor sportsmanship," Didymus  
complained.  
  
He kicked one of the goblins with his furry leg and bit the other with small sharp  
teeth. They fell away from him, nursing their wounds. Didymus only thought briefly  
about their low threshold of pain. The fight had started and he was ready for an opponent.  
  
"Hey, you can't bite him," a goblin complained as he approached Didymus.  
  
The agile fox leaped in the air and landed behind the lumbering goblin. Didymus  
glanced around his surroundings for a weapon. The only thing that appeared small enough  
were the torches that sat atop the large metal poles. Didymus knocked one of the poles to  
the ground and plucked the wooden torch from it.  
  
"I demand that you let my two noble friends free! You are surrounded!" Didymus  
cried as he held the unlit torch defensively.   
  
He hopped from one goblin to the next, daring them to swing at him. His mouth  
opened wide in the excitement of the battle. The goblins slowly inched away from him  
and fell away from Ludo and Hoggle.  
  
"Sir Hoggle, release my dear brother from those ghastly chains!" Didymus cried," I  
will hold yon enemy at bay!"  
  
Hoggle glanced up and noticed that Didymus had frightened the goblins away. He  
rushed over to Ludo as fast as his short legs could carry him. He fell by the large beast's  
side and attempted to free him of the restraints.  
  
"We need a key!" Hoggle called to Didymus.  
  
The fox immediately halted his jumping and turned to Hoggle. It seemed to be a  
problem. Didymus lowered his torch and scratched his chin thoughtfully. The goblins  
watched the strange creature closely and then inched their way closer to him. Didymus  
immediately turned and held his torch up once again.  
  
"I say, stay in yon corner!" he warned.  
  
A powerful hand fell on Sir Didymus and lifted him into the air. His torch fell to  
the ground and rolled by the crowd of scared goblins. Didymus struggled in the hands  
that held him and only managed to face his captor. Jareth smiled back at him.  
  
"I must say that your courage is remarkable, but I have no time for these antics,"  
Jareth said.  
  
He produced a crystal and spun it before Didymus' eyes. The fox watched it  
closely and then fell promptly asleep in Jareth's grasp. The Goblin King tossed him to the  
goblins and then grabbed Hoggle by his large ear. Hoggle mumbled something, but  
followed Jareth towards the goblins.  
  
"You must learn to speak up, Horgart."  
  
"Hoggle," he demanded.  
Jareth tossed him to the goblins and then walked back to his throne. The pain had  
passed and his magic was listening to him for the time being. Jareth planned on taking  
advantage of that. He hadn't been able to transport for some time. Perhaps the magic  
would return.  
  
Jareth's thoughts returned to Sarah. He had freed her from the car and had  
bandaged her up as well. He couldn't have her injured. However, there was something  
else driving his actions that he couldn't quite put his finger on. It was there, a different  
emotion.  
  
His anger that had flared at the small fox for causing the confusion, had died down.   
He was able to sit silently in his throne and think about what he had been ignoring for six  
long years. He had painted a picture of her and had written about her in one of the  
gold-bound books. Still, it hadn't been enough to quench the burning desire to see her.   
That was when he resorted to watching her in his mirror. He had seen bits and pieces of  
her life, but it only made him more sad. He saw something that he longed for, but could  
never have. His own evil nature kept him from trying to tell Sarah what he felt. It was of  
no use. She hated him and would never be able to consider Jareth as anything but an  
enemy. So that was the way it was to be.  
  
"If she must hate me and I her, then I shall simply force her to do as I say!" 


	6. Torn From Reality

Chapter Six: Torn From Reality  
  
"I expect all of you here by six tonight. I mean it. You have to be prompt!" the  
drama teacher ordered.  
  
Sarah ignored the woman's warnings. She had far more important things on her  
mind than a simple school play. There were certain questions that had been rolling  
through her restless mind ever since she had returned to the campus the night prior. Then  
there was that uneasy and almost anxious feeling growing in her stomach. She hadn't  
been able to eat anything the whole day.  
  
Jareth plagued her mind most often. She would think about something else,  
something in her world, and his face would suddenly appear in between her thoughts. She  
had had a test in her English and she had only succeeded in writing a few short answers.  
The answers were vague and incomplete and she was sure that she had flunked the test  
with flying colors.  
  
"Thanks to you, Goblin King," she muttered under her breath.  
  
Sarah realized that she had drifted into her own thoughts and forgotten about her  
class and the teacher who had been addressing all of them. She straightened up in her  
desk and looked to the front of the room. The teacher was no longer there. Sarah  
glanced around herself and realized that the whole room was empty. She hadn't even  
noticed all her classmates leave.  
  
Sarah climbed out of her desk and lifted her books. She glanced around the room  
one more time. It seemed too bright. Even the sun was too harsh and assaulting with the  
heat it radiated. On the other hand, Sarah remembered how the Underground sun had  
kissed her skin with sweet rays of warmth. It had a soft and gentle light that added to the  
magic.  
  
"Something isn't right," she thought to herself.  
  
The halls were strangely empty. No one was walking to different classes, talking  
in the halls, or waiting for an appointment. The only company she had was the echo of her  
shoes slapping against the ground in a rhythmic pattern. Sarah shivered with uneasiness  
and then hurried her walk into a brisk jog.   
  
"Sarah, Sarah," a voice drifted to her down the hallway.  
  
Sarah knew what the voice was and who it belonged to. She didn't need to turn  
and confirm her suspicions. Sarah shook her head and continued at her quick pace. She  
gripped her books closer to herself and hurried a bit more. She could hear the footsteps  
following her down the hall. They echoed in hers. She had hated being alone in the  
hallway, but being alone with Him was much worse.   
  
"Leave me alone!" she yelled.  
  
She felt warm tears brim in her eyes and trickle down her cheeks. Sarah swiped at  
them and the broke into a run. She ran down the hallway blindly. The tears filled her eyes  
and turned the walls into prisms. The colors blended together and swirled to form shapes  
that only frightened Sarah more. The footsteps behind her had grown closer and their  
echo now pounded in her ears.  
  
Sarah burst through the doors and ran into the courtyard. She stopped in the cruel  
sunlight and turned to face the hallway from which she had just escaped. Her tears had  
dried up enough to allow her to see her surroundings clearly. She looked down the  
hallway as far as she could, but there wasn't another person in sight.  
  
In fact, there weren't any people in sight. Sarah quickly assessed her surroundings  
with a sweeping glance that spanned the entire courtyard. There was no one outside to  
greet her. Sarah shivered again, though the day was warm. She glanced over her  
shoulder toward the hallway and then continued into the dorm building.  
  
"My life is falling apart!" Sarah moaned. She could speak to herself all she wanted  
and not worry about people thinking she was crazy. Jareth had rid the campus of the  
entire student body.  
  
"Whatever suits his purpose," she thought bitterly, "Perhaps I am crazy. Why else  
would I be carrying on a conversation with myself? Why else would I see foxes and  
beasts and dwarfs and a Goblin King?"  
  
Sarah threw open her door and tossed her books carelessly to the floor. She shut  
the door carefully behind herself and then fell to her bed. She placed a hand to the  
bandage that still remained on her head, and tried to think rationally about the whole  
course of events. After all, there was a perfect explanation for everything, or so she had  
been told.  
  
The rational explanation was cut off as something fell on her hand. Sarah recoiled  
slightly in fear. She then placed her hand to her heart and laughed at her foolishness.   
There was no reason to be afraid.   
  
Sarah picked up the present that had been left for her on the bed. The wrapping  
paper was of the purest white. It shone with a glistening fury and sparkled against the  
sunlight that streamed through the open window. Sarah observed that whomever had  
wrapped it had gone through great pains to achieve a seamless production. She looked at  
the top and noticed that her name had been written in fine slanting script.  
  
"Should I open it?" she asked herself.  
  
Her other hand remained poised above the present. It was almost as if it couldn't  
bring itself to ruin the perfect wrapping. Or, maybe, she was absolutely terrified about  
what might be lurking in such a mysterious gift. Sarah took a deep and ragged breath and  
touched the box tentatively. There would be no more hesitating. She couldn't be afraid  
any longer. Jareth wouldn't hurt her.  
  
Sarah placed one slender finger beneath the corner of the wrapping and tore it in  
half. The paper fell away from the box and landed on the ground. It shattered into a  
million fine pieces of crystallized paper and then melted into nothing. Sarah gazed at the  
ground in awe for a few moments and then returned her attention to the box and the gift it  
held inside of its dark realm.  
  
She opened the top and peered inside of the box. It was like looking at something  
forbidden and dangerous. She felt a thrill of uncertainty and giddiness rush through her  
body and tingle her skin. Her arms promptly broke into gooseflesh. Sarah ignored it all  
and concentrated on her present.  
  
"I've brought you a gift...," Jareth's words came to her often as of lately.  
  
She shook the thoughts of him from her mind and dove her hand into the box. She  
grasped the small object and brought it into the daylight of her room. Sarah opened her  
hand and gazed intently at her gift.  
  
It was a small charm. The figure was an identical replica to the woman who stood  
atop Sarah's music box. However, it had been crafted from fine gold and intricately  
carved to bring out details the small doll had lacked. Embedded in the full skirts was a  
small crystal. Sarah held the figurine in the light of the sun and marveled at the way the it  
bounced off the crystal in rainbows of intense color. Someone had gone through a lot of  
trouble to make the beautiful gift.  
  
Sarah rose from her bed, still cradling the lovely charm in her hand. She had  
forgotten entirely about her caution that she had originally shown towards the gift. Its  
beauty enchanted her and swept her better senses far away. She was nearly hypnotized by  
the tiny figurine.  
  
Sarah started to hum a song that she had heard six years ago. A smile formed on  
her face and she looked into the mirror for a brief moment. She saw herself in the white  
ball gown she had worn when she had danced with Jareth and her room had changed into  
a magnificent ballroom. However, the horrid masked dancers from six years ago were no  
longer there.   
  
She also noticed his reflection. He was resplendent in a light blue shirt that frilled  
at the end of the sleeves and the collar. He also wore a vest that was a darker blue. It  
fastened in the front with golden buttons. His tight pants were of the same color as his  
vest. Jareth's blonde hair was free to lay on his shoulders.   
  
Sarah gazed at his reflection. Her eyes glazed over as she stared at his cool  
expression. His blue eyes begged her to come to him and dance. Sarah was only able to  
watch Jareth in the mirror. Her feet felt glued to the very spot upon which she stood. She  
wavered slightly.  
  
"I feel so strange," Sarah spoke to Jareth's reflection.  
  
He smiled in response and held a hand out to her. Sarah attempted to raise her  
own hand, but it felt as if it weighed a hundred pounds. She staggered backwards and fell  
to her bed. Sarah gazed up at the ceiling, taking in deep gasps of air. Her body felt like it  
had slowed down.   
  
"I have come for you, Sarah. It is time that you join me at my castle," Jareth said.  
  
Sarah craned her neck up enough to look at the mirror. She watched with wide  
eyes as Jareth stepped through the mirror towards her. He smiled at her and again held his  
hand out. Sarah was mesmerized by his eyes. She was only able to do as he so willed her.   
She lifted her hand towards his.  
  
Their finger tips met and Sarah felt a brief surge of warmth and electricity shoot  
throughout her entire body. The gooseflesh on her arms surged up once again. However,  
Jareth backed away and the connection was snapped at once. The mesmerized state she  
had been in was broken, temporarily.  
  
"What? I-I didn't... No, you can't take me to.. to," Sarah blinked several times.  
  
She felt as if she was drunk. Her speech was slow and slurred. Everything was  
swirling around her, moving in and out of focus. The only image that remained clear and  
easy to see was Jareth, Jareth and his deep, intense eyes. Sarah shook her head and tried  
to regain some self-control, but she knew that she wouldn't have enough time.  
  
Jareth stepped towards her again and grasped her hand firmly in his own. Sarah  
pulled back with the little amount of strength that she had left, but it wasn't enough.   
Jareth easily brought her to her feet.  
  
Sarah struggled defiantly against him. She grabbed her chair and dragged it behind  
her. Someone had to hear soon. The building was crowded with students and faculty.   
They would surely hear the commotion and come to save her from Jareth's powerful  
grasp. Yet, Jareth had done away with everyone for the time being. It took Sarah a while  
to fully grasp the fact that there was nothing that she could do to prevent Jareth from  
bringing her to the Underground. He had tricked her again. His lovely present had  
somehow drugged her. She was in no shape to deny him. It was like her own mind was  
defying herself.  
  
Sarah reached out blindly and groped for anything that could slow Jareth down.   
She wanted to buy herself some time. Anything could help. Sarah grasped her purse from  
the floor and attempted to swing it at Jareth, but she stopped. There was no reason to  
anger him. She held the purse in the hand with the charm and only fought slightly by  
thrashing her other arm.  
  
Jareth sneered at her and pushed her towards the mirror. Sarah looked at it's  
smooth reflective surface and thought about all the times she had stood before mirrors.   
Had Jareth been watching her the whole time? It was a horrible thought. Why would he  
want to watch her? Sarah shook all the feverish thoughts from her head. She had to  
concentrate on the problem at hand.  
  
"It is time, Sarah," Jareth said as he gave her one final push.  
  
Sarah felt reality pull away from her. It was like she had bent the very fabric of  
existence that she had known her whole life. She would never be able to explain the  
feeling again, even if she tried a hundred thousand different ways. It was a backwards  
feeling, a feeling of being split between two worlds. She could think of many  
explanations, but none of them fit. Then she was in Jareth's castle and the transportation  
was forgotten.  
  
Sarah wavered on her feet and collapsed to the ground. She was still too drugged  
to be able to support herself. Sarah watched as Jareth walked towards her. His boots  
stopped inches from her face and then he bent down by her side.  
  
"Why?" was all she could manage to bring forth from her nearly paralyzed mouth.  
  
Jareth shrugged. He touched her brunette hair tenderly with one hand. Sarah  
cringed away from him, but she found that her muscles were no longer listening to her.  
  
"Strange that they would all choose to rebel at the same time," she thought to  
herself.  
  
A sudden and overwhelming fear stole through her. Jareth was totally in charge  
for the time being. She had no protection nor resistance against him. He could do  
anything his heart had ever desired as she was helpless. Sarah nearly cried at the thought,  
but she wouldn't allow herself. She couldn't let him see how upset he had made her.   
That would only make him even more happy.  
  
"I am not going to take advantage of you, Sarah. There is no reason to think that.   
I swear that no harm will come to you while you are in my castle," he replied as he got  
back to his feet.  
  
Sarah let out a silent sigh of relief. She knew that Jareth generally stayed true to  
his word. She only hoped that he hadn't changed much in the last six years. It had been a  
long time and anything could have happened... She wouldn't allow herself to think that  
way, it would only make her more depressed.  
  
Jareth walked away from her, but Sarah couldn't see where. She was not able to  
move her head or follow his movement. However, she could hear him open the door and  
walk out of the room. The door never closed behind him. Jareth knew, all to well that  
Sarah couldn't escape from her position on the ground.  
  
She felt her eyelids begin to grow heavy. The drug was taking its toll on her weak  
body. The need to sleep was overwhelming and she couldn't even attempt to push it  
away. Sleep and death were two things that would always catch up to you. There was no  
way to avoid them.  
  
"Sleepy?" Jareth asked from behind her.  
  
Sarah was shocked at how Jareth was able to seemingly read her mind. It was a  
bit scary when she really thought about it, but she wasn't able to concentrate on it for too  
long. She was far too sleepy to dwell on anything else. Jareth's psychic ability with her  
would have to wait until after she had gotten a few days of sleep.  
  
Sarah managed a slight smile at her unspoken, pathetic joke.  
  
"I..... sleep," she said with strain. Even her voice felt tired.  
  
Jareth looked down at her with a slight smile. She looked so angelic with her wide  
eyes closed and her long hair draped across the ground. Her legs were pulled up to her  
stomach in a fetal position. She fluttered her eyes opened and peered up at him.  
  
"Rest dear Sarah, for your journey will not wait for you much longer," Jareth  
spoke gently.  
  
Sarah closed her eyes again at his command. She loosened her grip on the charm  
and it fell on her purse. Jareth lifted the items to the dresser that stood in her room. He  
had gone through pains to make the room suitable for Sarah. He wanted it to be perfect in  
every way.  
  
Jareth reached down and lifted Sarah's body into his arms. She was limp in her  
sleep. He carried her easily to the large bed in the room. He laid Sarah upon the white  
silken sheets that covered the bed and then stepped away from her.  
  
"If only we hadn't been forced into the horrid roles of eternal enemies," he  
moaned.  
  
He looked back to Sarah and then turned to leave the room. He could feel the  
pain coming on. Jareth had learned to predict the pain. It helped to know when it would  
hit. He always rushed to his quarters or the crystallized room to endure its cycle. He  
would have to rush to his chambers quickly. There would be time for thought in his  
crystal room the next day.  
  
Jareth shut the large wooden door behind him and motioned for the goblin guards  
to stand watch outside of Sarah's door. She might be under his spell now, but later she  
would be back to her defiant self. Jareth wasn't about to take any chances.   
  
He rushed down the hall and into his room. The pain was slowly digging its way  
into his head and all down his spine. Jareth fell to the bed and laid down. He found that it  
was more bearable if he was reclining when the true agony commenced. Jareth grit his  
teeth and braced himself, but it never came. The headache subsided and then drifted away  
into oblivion.  
  
He sat up and looked around the room. He had never experienced the pain  
suddenly leaving. It had always run its violent and rabid coarse through his body. He was  
relieved to not have to undergo the agony again, but it perplexed him as well.  
  
"Perhaps things are going to change now that Sarah is back in the Underground." 


	7. Creation of Magic

Chapter Seven: Creation of Magic  
  
The following is The Creation Of The Underground, as written in the ancient  
books:  
  
"When it all began there was only bleak and utter darkness. This lack of anything  
disturbed and bored the Great Overseer. He thought about the nothingness often and  
wondered why there shouldn't be something of some interest in that spot. It certainly  
seemed like a terrible waste of space. The Overseer, as we all know, is not one to waste  
anything.  
  
"Then, one day when he was particularly bored and upset with the great void an  
idea occurred to him. He would create something in the blackness and change the nothing  
into something. He was very pleased with himself, but soon he grew discouraged once  
again. What was he going to create in the space? It seemed as if he had made everything  
at least once, and he absolutely detested the idea of doing anything twice. That was  
unheard of. So, once again, the Great Overseer was discouraged and bored.  
  
"The Great Overseer decided to busy himself with the other projects. He watched  
as some of his other creations developed and began to change. It all happened remarkably  
fast. In fact, it seemed like no time before they were creating their own stories. Those  
stories greatly intrigued the Overseer. He yearned to read them, but the creatures kept  
their stories closely guarded.  
  
"One day in the near future the Overseer was once again observing the intelligent  
creations. He noticed that one of the more forgetful creatures had abandoned his writing,  
for the time being, and hurried off outside to enjoy the day. The Overseer waited only a  
brief moment and then hurriedly snatched the stories away. He hid in the great darkness  
to read the stories in silence.  
  
"He opened the book and read. The Overseer's eyes grew wide as the words flew  
before his gaze and the creature's plot began to unravel. Once he had finished and looked  
around the desolate area that had plagued him so often, the Overseer shut the book with a  
snap . Perhaps he knew what to do with the nothingness, after all.   
  
The 'humans' as they so quaintly called themselves, had a fascination with Magic.   
Of course, the Overseer had no idea what this Magic was. It was a creation of the  
humans. They had simply made it up, as the writer had done with the story. The Overseer  
once again looked into the nothingness. He would have to learn all he could about Magic  
before he truly decided what should be done.  
  
The Overseer went about his days as he would have during any other century, but  
this time he observed the humans more closely. He watched every writer or poet, waiting  
for them to leave some piece of literature where he could read it. In every story there  
seemed to be some undertone of Magic. The Overseer was quite sure that he was nearly  
knowledgeable enough to go through with his plan.  
  
The next day the Overseer ventured to the nothing and watched it for a brief  
moment. It would no longer be nothing, for he was ready to create once again. He waved  
his gargantuan hands before the abyss and a bright flash of light immediately followed.  
  
"Magic," he said in a deep and powerful voice. The sound seemed to echo over  
the whole vast space.  
  
The light soon died away to reveal a newborn land. The ground was covered with  
lush green grass. The trees were full and shadowed the ground in cool shade. The sun  
was a sweet and magical sun, that never allowed a dreary day to overcome the lovely land.   
There were flowering plants adorning everything and sending sweet aromas into the air. It  
was all perfect, and yet it was lacking something.  
  
The Overseer scratched his large chin in thought and looked down at the peaceful  
land. He looked at the trees and the plants and the clear sparkling water. It was all fine  
and everything was in its proper place. He suddenly removed his hand from beneath his  
chin and smiled.  
  
"Of course," his voice boomed.  
  
The Overseer waved his hands once more and the land was instantly populated  
with every magical creature about which he had ever read. He had even created some  
from his own infinite imagination. There were elves and fairies frolicking through the  
thick, wild forest. The beasts roamed freely across the open grass plains. He created  
talking birds, insects, beasts and plants. Everything that he pointed to was immediately  
given life.  
  
He leaned back away from the land and observed his work. It looked peaceful and  
wonderful. The Overseer knew that he had done a good job. He left his new land and  
retired to his great bed chamber. All of his creating had left him drained and sleepy. He  
would wake early to check his infant land in the morning.   
  
The next morning the Overseer hurried to his land filled with giddy anticipation.   
He had so much more to do that day. In fact, he had dreamt about more animals to add  
the night before. The overseer hunched over his new land and peered down at all of his  
creations. However, something strange caught his eye. There was something new in the  
land that he could not remember creating.  
  
The Overseer fell to his knees in shock. There was an ugly, short thing hobbling  
around in his pure, lovely, newly created land. The thing was like a wart upon his  
wondrous creation. The Overseer realized in horror that hundreds of the little things had  
inhabited the land.   
  
He also noticed that some of the forests had grown dark and foreboding over  
night. His perfect and beautiful land had been damaged. He had no idea what to do, but  
he had to try something. The magic was supposed to keep everything perfect. Was it  
failing for some strange reason?  
  
The Overseer quickly changed himself into a bird and flew down to the land. He  
would have to inquire among the inhabitants. They would surely know what had  
happened the night before. He would have to fix everything after he got enough  
information.  
  
The Overseer swooped down to one of the repulsive little things that had formed  
over night. He landed in front of it and looked at the thing's stupid face. It was clearly  
not a thing of any notable intelligence. The Overseer scoffed at the dumb thing and shook  
his feathery head.  
  
"Of what reason have you come to this pure land?" he demanded.  
  
The thing bent down by the Overseer and plucked at his wing. The Overseer  
squawked and jumped away. However the shrimp continued after him, laughing stupidly  
all the time. It obviously thought that this was some sort of a game. The Overseer, on the  
other hand, was quite taken aback. He jumped out of reach and transformed into his  
human form. The short thing instantly halted.  
  
"Birdie change," it muttered.  
  
"Yes! Now I demand that you tell me how you came to this land! I will not take  
any more of this useless ignorance!" The Overseer was awfully upset with the thing  
  
The creature simply shrugged. It then fell to the ground and played with its bare  
feet. The Overseer watched the creature with disdain and then turned away from it.   
There would be no intelligent conversation with such a mentally inferior pest. He would  
have to talk to some of the other, more intelligent animals.  
  
  
The Overseer stopped an elf who had been hurrying the other way. The elf looked  
at him strangely. He then smiled.  
  
"May I ask you if you, my dear brother, know anything about the repulsive  
creatures that seemed to have been born overnight?" the Overseer questioned.  
  
The elf looked at him as if he were a devil. He backed away a bit and then turned  
to run. However, he halted abruptly and then carefully looked over his shoulder. He  
seemed to be deciding if the strange man could be trusted. He then shrugged and walked  
back.  
  
"If you are a friend you must tell me why you do not know about the horrible  
plague that has struck our young land. It seems that my brothers and sisters are  
disappearing at an alarming rate. Did you not realize that nearly a fourth of everyone has  
disappeared? Even the forests are turning against us. And, have you noticed the sky  
overhead has darkened considerably?" the elf asked  
  
The Overseer did look over his head at that time. The elf was right. The sky had  
darkened horribly and the wonderful magical sun appeared to be sickly. It just didn't seem  
right for his wonderful land to be destroyed so soon. Of course, he never destroyed  
anything. It was his brother who controlled that. The Overseer decided that his brother  
would know what was happening.  
  
"My friend, I will find some help for you. Do not think me rude, for I have to  
run," with that the Overseer transformed into a bird and flew quickly away.  
  
Once he was far enough away he changed back to his normal form and stomped  
angrily to his brother. There was no reason to destroy the young land. The Overseer had  
not even had enough time to name the land and enjoy the creatures' development. It was  
not right!!  
  
"Brother!" the Overseer demanded.  
  
Destruction looked over at his brother and walked out. He glared at the wonderful  
Overseer, whom all the worlds loved in some form. It wasn't fair for him, a great and  
powerful god as well, to be ignored. He should have shrines for him and people praying  
to him.   
  
"What do you want my great brother?" Destruction questioned.  
  
The Overseer motioned back towards the new land. Destruction looked that way  
and smiled evilly. It seemed that one of his brother's worlds was dying rather quickly.   
The sun had turned a sick red color and the light was only a slight glow. It wouldn't be  
long before the sun died and the land simply froze to death.  
  
"Why are you killing my new land? It is only a day old and it deserves to be  
around for a long, long time," the Overseer argued.  
  
Destruction shrugged the Overseer's words off and turned to walk away. He  
didn't need to listen to anything. His brother had never done anything kind for him, so  
there was no reason for Destruction to help the Overseer. He had many lands. One less  
wouldn't be too bad.  
  
"It is dying because of a mistake you have made, oh powerful brother,"  
Destruction replied wryly.  
  
"No, no! I have crafted this land with love and hard work. I have done everything  
to ensure its survival. You have done something to it, brother. Please save it. I know  
that you understand what is wrong. I will do anything you desire in return," the Overseer  
begged.  
  
Destruction immediately stopped. It was a very intriguing offer. He knew what  
was wrong with the new land. It wasn't that hard to figure out, and he knew that his  
brother could figure it out with enough time. However, time was something the new  
world didn't have. Destruction smiled a sinister smile.  
  
"Well, good brother, perhaps we can bargain. I do, indeed, know what is ravaging  
your world. Do you swear that you will give me anything I ask in return for the  
information," Destruction inquired.  
  
The Overseer looked back to his land. He would have to make the sacrifice if he  
wanted it to survive. He so loved the new land. It was worth anything his evil brother  
would ask in return. The Overseer turned back to his brother and nodded gravely in reply.   
Destruction's laughter echoed around them.  
  
"Please, tell me what is wrong with my lovely land," Overseer asked.  
  
"Dear and sweet brother, your land was created filled with magic. You have made  
everything based on magic and so that is the basis of the whole world's survival.   
However, you were too excited with what you created and forgot how you had created it.   
Have you not thought what would happen if the magic left? How is the magic remaining  
in the land?" Destruction asked.  
  
The Overseer instantly jumped to his feet. His brother was right. The land was  
losing its magic very quickly. He would simply have to create something to hold the  
magic in the land. He smiled happily, but remembered that his brother was going to need  
something in return. His smile instantly fell from his face.  
  
"You have fulfilled your side of the bargain, brother. It is now time for you to tell  
me what you require for payment," he spoke softly.  
  
"I do not need to be paid quite yet. I will let you repair your poor world and nurse  
it back to health. After the world is back to normal, come back to me. I expect this to be  
in a week, brother," Destruction spoke as he walked away.  
  
The Overseer was overjoyed. He had time to be with his new land. He had never  
known his brother to be so giving. Perhaps Destruction had decided to turn away from his  
evil ways. The Overseer also turned to help his world.  
  
"Wait, brother!" Destruction called, " I have one more thing to tell you before you  
go. I do not want you to heal any of the changed world. You wait until the week is  
passed and come and get me. Only then, after I have looked at your world, can you repair  
it."  
  
The Overseer felt a horrible sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He knew that  
his brother was still very much evil and still up to his sinister ways. He let out a sigh and  
hurried to his land. There wasn't much time left to save the world.   
  
"Worries about my brother will have to wait," he thought to himself.  
  
The Overseer immediately took the stars from the very sky and placed them at his  
feet. He had grabbed thirteen from the sky. The Overseer waved his hands over the stars  
and they turned to large crystal orbs. The Overseer lifted them carefully into his arms and  
hurried back to the land.  
  
He placed the crystals about the entire world. He then stepped back and waited  
for the magic to find the wonderful crystals. He waited silently, holding his breath.   
Perhaps his brother had been lying the whole time. The Overseer watched closer, but still  
nothing happened.  
  
"Damn you brother!" he exclaimed.  
  
Suddenly the new sun brightened and returned to its usual yellow color. The  
world was bathed in gentle sunlight. The greens of the trees and grass returned to their  
previous vibrancy and the flowers instantly opened to show their faces to the sun. The  
creatures ventured out from their hiding places and resumed their frolicking nature. The  
thirteen crystals had captured the magic and saved the new world. However, would it be  
safe for long?  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
The week passed as if it had merely been a day or an hour. The Overseer knew  
that the time had come to go back to his brother and pay him for his advice. In some deep  
recesses of his mind, the Overseer knew what his brother was going to do. However, he  
couldn't admit it to himself.  
  
The world had thrived and the Overseer nursed it back to health as if it had been  
his child. However, the corrupt little creatures, that he had taken to calling 'goblins' still  
infested the beautiful land . There was one section of the world that had become dark  
with lack of magic and had never healed. The Overseer had been tempted to help the land,  
but he knew better than to contradict his brother.  
  
Destruction was waiting patiently for him, as he had said. The Overseer scuffed up  
to his brother and stood before him, head hung low in sadness. Destruction smiled  
wickedly at the pain his brother was experiencing. He smiled even more when he realized  
that Overseer would have to suffer much, much more.  
  
"How is your world, brother?" Destruction asked with a smirk.  
  
"It is fine. Do you want to see it? I am sure that its beauty will please even you.   
It is remarkable," the Overseer stated.  
  
Destruction shrugged, but followed his brother to the new land. He looked down  
at it with disgust. However, his cruel gaze fell on the dirty goblins and the dead land past  
the rise of the mountains. He smiled widely as he thought about the possibilities these two  
corrupt aspects of this lovely world offered.  
  
"I have decided that you owe me a lot, brother. This land is lovely and obviously  
means very much to you. If my advice helped much, then you owe me much. So I shall  
tell you what you must do for me," Destruction said in a sinister voice.  
  
The Overseer sat down and awaited his brother's demands. There were going to  
be many of them. Destruction had made that perfectly clear with his little speech. The  
Overseer was only frightened that the demands had something to do with his fantastic  
world.  
  
"I am waiting," the Overseer replied simply.  
  
Destruction placed his hands behind his back and started pacing around. He then  
turned to his brother and held his finger up.  
  
"The first thing you must do for me is to leave the small creatures and the  
destroyed section of land on your world!"  
  
"No! Brother, that is not right. Those..those Goblins! have no right in such a  
beautiful world. Neither does the destroyed land. Please, anything else?" the Overseer  
begged.  
  
Destruction's eyes burned with anger. He rushed to his brother and pointed at the  
world. His face was pulled back in a sneer. The Overseer cringed away from his brother.  
  
"YOU WILL DO IT!" he screamed.   
  
The Overseer nodded meekly. He knew that his brother could easily destroy the  
whole world. He could smash the crystals and force the Overseer to watch the world die  
in a frost. The Overseer shuddered at the horrible possibilities. The Goblins and the  
blighted land would be much better than anything else. He consented to it with a nod of  
his head.  
  
"Good. I also want you to place a king in the land. This king shall rule over all.   
He will have power and he will control time so that he will not age as your other creations  
do. I want him to have an evil embedded deep within his soul. You may add goodness as  
well, but the evil must remain part of him, forever. This king will torment your 'humans'  
by taking their babies." Destruction laughed at his wit.  
  
The Overseer was utterly shocked at the extent of his brother's evil. He had never  
heard of anything so heartless before. He felt helpless. There was nothing that he could  
do to save the innocent world from his brother's tight grasp.  
  
"Please brother, do not torture my other world so. I will do as you say, but I beg  
you to lesson this king's power just slightly," the Overseer could only attempt to  
compromise.  
  
"Fine. He will take the babies when the people wish the children away. Then the  
babies will be doomed to remain in his castle and become goblins!" Destruction laughed  
again.  
  
He started away and then a slight twinkle formed in his eye. Perhaps it would be  
better to give his brother some hope. Or, some false hope. His smile broadened at the  
thought. He turned and grabbed his brother by the arm.  
  
"What do you want? Have you not tortured me enough?" the Overseer demanded.  
  
"I want to give you hope, dear brother. This is all too much for your pure heart to  
take. I want you to put this spell over the king: when love enters his life the evil and the  
good will battle in his soul. If good should win, then he shall lose the evil. If evil should  
win, he will lose the good. However, when he falls in love, this is a true love mind you, it  
will mean..." Destruction was cut off by the sound of his brother weeping.  
  
"I have yet to name my world and you have already sealed its future in evil and  
cruelty. I have never known anyone of such an evil nature as you, my brother. I do not  
understand why the fates have put us together in the same family. Allow me to name my  
world, and then you may tell me the rest of your horrid plan," the Overseer begged.  
  
"I will name it for you, brother. We shall call this world the Underground, for it is  
a place of beauty and evil, love and hate, friendship and enemies. Even the king has a  
constant contradiction of emotions running through his very soul." Destruction turned to  
leave.  
  
The Overseer watched him go and almost wished that he could let his brother  
leave. However, his curiosity was ravaging wildly. He had to know what Destruction  
was going to tell him earlier. The Overseer raised himself to his feet and beckoned his  
brother to return.  
  
"I fear to ask you the question, but my curiosity will not allow me to avoid it.   
Brother, what were you telling me before I stopped you. I must know if I have any hope  
that my world will someday be perfect once again," the Overseer asked.  
  
Destruction loved his brother's curious nature. It would have been a shame if he  
had forgotten to tell the Overseer about the most evil part of his revenge. He held his  
hands together and looked deeply into his brother's innocent eyes. It was going to be  
funny to watch the reaction.  
  
"When the king finds a true love, that will mean destruction of the Underground!!"   
  
So the fate of the Underground was sealed for eternity within the golden bindings  
of the ancient book. 


	8. Magic that Love Has Found

Chapter Eight: Magic That Love Has Found   
  
Jareth stood at the foot of Sarah's bed. It was well past dawn, but she had yet to  
open her eyes. He knew that the spell she had been under had been quite powerful, but  
she had been asleep for nearly twelve long hours. The Goblin King was quickly growing  
impatient.  
  
He thought about the amount of magic he had used so carelessly to bring Sarah to  
the Underground. Perhaps there had been better ways to do it, not to mention less  
magical ways. His magic was slowly disappearing and he knew that if he used it as  
frivolously as he had with Sarah, then it would soon be gone. Jareth shuddered at the  
thought.  
  
Sarah stirred slightly in her sleep, but only rolled over to her other side. Jareth let  
out an exasperated sigh and stomped away from the room. There was really no point in  
waiting by her bed if she was so determined to sleep. He had many other important things  
to do.  
  
"I have honestly never seen anyone sleep as she does," Jareth complained to the  
empty hall.  
  
The goblin population had nearly been cut in half, what with the strange plague  
that had struck the Underground. His minions no longer toiled around the castle in  
droves. They, instead, kept together in large clumps that were dispersed sporadically  
throughout the city grounds. Nearly none of them came into the castle as of lately. There  
were a few choice members of the goblin army left to guard the girl from escaping.   
  
Jareth swung the large glass doors open and stepped into his crystallized room.   
He had much planning yet to accomplish and the room seemed to be the only place were  
he could attempt to think the whole situation through rationally. Jareth fell to the couch  
with a graceful swoop and then draped both legs over the arm. He turned his attention to  
the glass oval that occupied the center of the room. Perhaps it would cooperate today.  
  
"What is attacking my world and my own body? I know the magic is dying, but  
why? You have helped me so many times before, why have you deserted me in this time  
of need?" Jareth asked the silent mirror.  
  
The mirror flashed with cold blue light and immediately the smooth surface was  
replaced with the forest that had turned to stone some time ago. Jareth slipped his legs off  
of the arm and placed his feet firmly on the ground. He leaned forward and gazed into the  
changing surface. A magical voice radiated from the mirror:  
  
"Thirteen stars adorn the skies.  
They all await a creator's touch.  
Inside their bodies, magic thrives  
And holds this land in beauty's clutch  
  
However, an ancient promise binds   
The land and their king's darkened soul  
But if the light of true love shines   
The battle of light and dark unfolds!  
  
Through this battle Destruction reigns,  
and torments the land of the Underground  
For thirteen crystals weak with death   
Await the magic that love has found"  
  
Jareth's eyes grew wide as the riddle unfurled itself before him. He watched the  
mirror as it moved across his entire kingdom, showing Jareth things he had never seen  
before. Then, with a bright flash of light, the mirror returned to its original reflective  
surface. He shook his head and then charged at the oval mirror.   
  
"Why do you torment me with horrible riddles?!? I do not have time for these  
games you insist upon playing!" Jareth yelled.  
  
The mirror never replied. It remained soundless and clear. Its power had been  
used up for the time being. It had been drained and Jareth still was left in the dark. He  
drudged back to his couch and flopped down, less gracefully this time. There was no  
hope if his most powerful advisor was speaking in riddles.  
  
His gaze trailed over to the ancient books that sat upon the crystal shelves. There  
were not of any use to him. None of them would open to reveal the secret they held  
within. Jareth was not meant to know what was inside. He had only opened one book,  
and that one had been blank. This book was now filled with poems and artwork about  
Sarah. Jareth smiled slightly at the thought of his obsession.  
  
"I am sending Sarah on a quest that I know not where it leads. I must trust that  
she will be able to discover the truth behind the riddle," Jareth said as he pulled a scrap of  
yellowed paper out of the single ancient book that opened to his touch.  
  
He quickly wrote the riddle in his fine slanting script. He read through it carefully,  
to be sure that he had understood each word the mirror had spoken. There was no room  
for errors. He hadn't understood most of the riddle, but he had heard enough to know  
that the thirteen magical crystals were dying. If they should die it would mean certain  
doom for the Underground.  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
Sarah blinked her eyes open and gazed up at the high, arched ceiling above her. A  
moment of fear stole through her body before she remembered where she had been taken  
the previous day. She wiped the sleep from her eyes and sat up slowly. She was surprised  
at how refreshed she felt. She only had a slight amount of memories pertaining to the day  
before and the spell that had been cast over her.  
  
Sarah looked around the room. She was mildly surprised not to find herself in  
some dank and smelly dungeon. Instead she had slept in a magnificent bed with silken  
sheets. Sarah ran her hand down the fine material, loving the silk against her skin. She  
couldn't suppress the smile that formed on her lips, it was nearly like living a fairy tale.   
However, in this case the handsome prince had been replaced by a conniving Goblin King.  
  
"I suppose that it would be smart to think about escape," Sarah said softly.  
  
She noticed a balcony that attached to her room. Sarah glanced at the door, there  
would be goblin guards waiting out there for her. Perhaps Jareth had forgotten about the  
balcony. Sarah seriously doubted that he would be that foolish, but it was worth the try.  
  
Sarah climbed out of the bed and let out a deep breath when she realized that there  
wasn't a single creak coming from the lovely mattress. Sarah slowed her breathing down  
and tried to convince herself that it was pointless to get her hopes up. There was no way  
that she would be able to escape with such ease.  
  
She threw open the lacy white curtains that stood before the balcony. Sarah was  
shocked to see no goblin standing before her. In fact, the whole village sounded strangly  
silent. Sarah walked to the edge of the balcony and leaned over the railing to peer down  
at the goblin village that had once been bustling with commotion. This time she only saw  
a few choice goblins in the marketplace.  
  
"Everything is getting more and more peculiar," she said to herself.  
  
Sarah looked down at the ground. The balcony was surprisingly high. Jareth had  
probably decided that Sarah wouldn't be dumb enough to attempt an escape from such a  
dangerous, and utterly frightening, height. Of course, he had been right. She turned her  
attention away from this escape route and looked towards the beautiful garden that was  
directly below her.  
  
"Quite a sight from here?" Jareth asked from behind her.  
  
Sarah spun around suddenly and placed her hand over her heart. The shocked  
expression instantly turned to one of anger. He had a way of making her temper flare with  
only a few short words. Sometimes the mere sight of him angered her to a point that she  
thought she would burst. This time her shock was keeping her anger under control.  
  
"I certainly hope that this isn't another of your stupid dreams," Sarah's words  
were laced with venom.  
  
Jareth stepped up closer to her and led her back to the edge of the balcony.   
Sarah's words seemed to slide right off of him. He gestured to the garden below them.   
Sarah turned her face away from him and instead focused on a bug that was busily  
trundling up the wall.  
  
"Look down there, Sarah! I saw you marveling at the garden earlier. Surely you  
must wonder what a thing of such beauty is doing amidst the hovel of the goblin city?"  
Jareth asked. His voice was remarkably patient considering the way that Sarah was  
treating him.  
  
Sarah ignored him. She didn't want to look at the garden that he was so obviously  
proud of. It didn't concern her. All she wanted to know was why he had brought her to  
the Underground after six long years.  
  
"Sarah, do not defy me! I have had enough of your stubborn ways. You truly  
remind me more of a mule than a girl at times," Jareth replied. His patience was wearing  
thin.  
  
Sarah turned to Jareth and stared into his cold blue eyes. They flashed  
momentarily and then faded back to the calm blue. She had to try very hard not to be  
drawn into the depth of eyes that looked so much like two oceans. Sarah found that,  
despite her valiant attempts, she felt herself being partially controlled. She had to snap her  
head away with too much force and managed to strain her neck.  
  
"I have told you before, Jareth, that you have no power over me. The fact hasn't  
changed, even over these six long years," Sarah argued.  
  
Jareth's eyes flashed with fury and he grabbed Sarah's head in his powerful hands.   
He turned her to face him and glared at her. Sarah returned the evil look. She found that  
her strength was returning.   
  
"I do not need to control you, for I know what will convince you to listen to me,"  
Jareth responded with a grin.  
  
Sarah's heart dropped as he spoke. She remembered seeing Ludo calling for help  
in the middle of the road. Jareth wouldn't drag her dear friends into the middle of  
everything, would he? Sarah looked at Jareth closely and then sighed. She couldn't dare  
to allow herself to put it past him. Sarah's whole body seemed to droop in depression.  
  
"You have made your point, Jareth. I suppose that I should have guessed that you  
would find some way to control me," Sarah replied. She had to clench her teeth in order  
to keep the viscious words from spewing forth.  
  
Jareth smiled and then turned Sarah around. He was glad that she was starting to  
understand that she had to do as he wished, that is, if she wanted to see her friends alive.   
He smiled at his genius plan.  
  
"Of course, you could have simply told her that the Underground would die  
without her help. That would probably convince her to assist you," Jareth thought to  
himself.  
  
No, the friends were a good touch. She might not believe that the Underground  
was in eminent danger. She would probably only laugh at Jareth's poor lie and refuse to  
help with anything. He would have to keep her friends in the dungeon until she had  
properly restored the Underground's magic to its ideal working order.  
  
"I will allow you to talk to your friends once, Sarah. After that you may not have  
any interaction with them until you have entirely completed your quest. Once you return  
and I have been convinced that everything has been fixed, I will free you to do as you  
wish," Jareth replied simply.  
  
Sarah shuddered with anger that was building up horribly inside of her. She would  
have to go on a quest alone. Her friends were suffering because of her. Jareth had more  
control over her than she thought that he had. This was disgusting!  
  
"It isn't fair," Sarah thought to herself. She wouldn't let the words be spoken.   
Jareth always laughed at her when she spoke those three horrid words.  
  
"I want to see if my friends are okay. How can I trust that you won't do anything  
to them while I am away?" Sarah asked.  
  
Jareth turned a corner and led her to a simple room. It had no furniture in it, save  
a single mirror that covered the entire far wall. Jareth led her before the mirror and then  
stopped. He looked to Sarah and smiled at her. Sarah couldn't stand to see him smile, for  
it was never friendly. In fact, it was more like a sneer.  
  
"You may look at your friends now, Sarah. I am afraid that I can only offer you  
my word that no harm will be inflicted on them. At least not by my hand," Jareth said as  
an after thought.   
  
Sarah would just have to accept that. There was no point in worrying about her  
friends. Jareth had a lot of power and if he said that no harm would come to them, Sarah  
would have to believe it. Otherwise, she would simply be a nervous wreck on her entire  
voyage. She didn't even have an idea about how long the "quest" would take.  
  
"May I talk to them alone?" Sarah demanded.  
  
Jareth looked at her for a short while and then turned. His blonde hair flew over  
his shoulders and bobbed slightly as he walked out of the room. The door closed behind  
him and Sarah heard the obvious sound of a lock snapping. She sighed. Jareth certainly  
wasn't going to take any chances.  
  
"Well, what am I going to do with a mirror?" the moment the words left Sarah's  
mouth the mirror changed to a strange black color.  
  
"Milady?" a familiar voice rose up from the blackness. Sarah instantly ran towards  
the mirror and placed a trembling hand on its black surface.  
  
"Sir Didymus, is that you? Oh, how I've missed you. Are Hoggle and Ludo there  
as well?" Sarah inquired happily.  
  
There was no response for a short time. Suddenly the mirror brightened and a  
faint orange glow surrounded the fox's face in the mirror. Sarah smiled at her friend and  
yearned to jump through the mirror and hug his furry little body. Hoggle hobbled by  
Didymus and his ugly face instantly broke into a lovely smile.  
  
"Oh Hoggle. I missed you all so much!" Sarah cried.  
  
She felt tears begin to form in her eyes again. Sarah swiped at her eyes with the  
back of her hand and tried in vain to keep them from trickling out. Hoggle's and  
Didymus' smiles fell from their faces. They looked concerned for Sarah.  
  
"Sarah, why are you crying?" Hoggle asked.  
  
Sarah shook her head and managed a wan smile. She had to try to control herself.   
Jareth could return at any time. She certainly didn't want him to see her cry. She had to  
take advantage of the short amount of time that Jareth had given her with her beloved  
friends.  
  
"There's nothing wrong. I'm so happy to see you two again. Where's Ludo? He  
hasn't been hurt, has he?" Sarah's voice wavered at her question.  
  
Hoggle and Didymus shook their head in unison. They gestured over to the left.   
Sarah strained to see over there, but the light only illuminated two of her friends.   
However, she didn't understand why Ludo wouldn't greet her with his voice. She could  
understand that he might be tied up. The goblins would have a hard time restraining him  
otherwise.  
  
"Ludo lost his voice, milady. He would have fought valiantly by your side, but he  
is chained as well," Didymus replied in sad tones.  
  
Sarah's temper flared and her tears stopped. How dare Jareth tie Ludo up and  
take his voice away. The poor sweet beast was an innocent creature. He would never  
harm anyone, unless they had hurt his friends. The mirror instantly darkened slightly.   
Sarah turned her attention away from her anger and back to her friends. They were once  
again bathed in orange light.  
  
"Poor Ludo. I'm afraid that Jareth did it so that he can't call the rocks. I wish  
that I could hug all of you guys," Sarah moaned.  
  
"That rat! If I was over there I'd...I'd," Hoggle started.  
  
He turned his face to the ground and shifted his feet. Sarah noticed that there was  
a faint blush raising up on his dark cheeks. Sarah stifled a laugh. She couldn't believe that  
Hoggle was embarrassed. This was the dwarf that had said that he didn't care about  
anyone, only himself.  
  
"What's wrong?" Sarah inquired.  
  
"I'm a coward. I probably couldn't even help you, Sarah," Hoggle answered  
sadly.  
  
"Hoggle, you are one of the most brave dwarfs that I have ever met," Sarah said  
with a laugh.  
  
The large wooden door suddenly flung open. Jareth walked in and stood by Sarah.   
His face had turned to an eerie shade of white. Sarah was immediately frightened. She  
turned away from the mirror and it darkened once again. Her friends let out a unified yell  
of protest, but Jareth cut them off with a sweep of a gloved hand.  
  
Sarah looked back to the mirror, but it had returned to its reflective nature. Sarah  
sighed. If she had only had a bit more time to talk with them and find out how their lives  
had been. It would have to wait until she had finished with her journey and returned back  
to the castle, that was, if she was able to finish the journey.  
  
"I need you to hurry, Sarah. Your journey must be started sooner than I expected.   
I must prepare you," Jareth said.  
  
Sarah looked at Jareth's white complexion and found herself wondering what had  
happened to cause him to react so strangely. She wondered if she really wanted to find  
out. If it had frightened Jareth, then it would probably terrify her.  
  
Jareth pushed his long, flowing sleeves up slightly on his arms and waved his hand  
before the mirror. It shone a weak blue color and then a faint forest formed inside. Sarah  
wondered why the picture had not appeared more clearly. She peered at the forest and  
noticed something strange. There were quite a few trees that had been made of stone.  
  
"I-I don't understand," Sarah said as she turned to Jareth. Her anger was replaced  
by a growing curiosity.  
  
"Sarah, the Underground is dying. You may choose to not believe me, but it is not  
a lie. The very trees before your eyes have turned to stone. My goblins are disappearing  
every day, as are the other inhabitants of the Underground. Half of them turn to stone,  
while the other half seem to just vanish entirely. I have a riddle and a map to aid you on  
your journey, but I don't know where you need to look," Jareth stopped for a moment and  
placed a hand to his head.  
  
Sarah turned to him and watched as the Goblin King staggered backwards and  
slammed against the wall. He leaned against it and gritted his teeth against the scream that  
was trying to fight its way out of his mouth. Sarah edged closer to him. This was like  
what had happened in her dream. What was wrong with Jareth?  
  
"What?" Sarah asked.  
  
Jareth opened his eyes and looked at her. His hand was still on his head and the  
pain was still flaring through his body. However, his expression had changed dramatically.   
He smiled at her and Sarah's mouth dropped in shock. His smile that had always been sly  
and cocky, was now true and openly friendly.   
  
Sarah felt her anger melt away as she gazed at his handsome face and his twinkling  
blue eyes. Jareth struggled to stand up and managed to walk over to her. He placed a  
hand against the mirror to steady his weak body. Sarah waited for him to speak.  
  
"My dear Sarah, I don't know how much longer I can live through these  
'episodes.' My world is dying and I fear that I am too. You must help me and find the  
thirteen crystals. I need to save them from dying," Jareth spoke in a loving tone.  
  
He placed his hand on her cheek. Sarah reached up and touched his frail hand with  
her own, but she did not make him remove it. His touch was warm and it made her feel  
safe once again. It was a strange feeling to have around a man whom she had always  
considered her enemy. However, the feeling was there and it greatly troubled Sarah.  
  
"Why are you doing this?" Sarah asked with her eyes closed. She wanted to enjoy  
the feeling of his touch on her cheek without looking at his weakened face.  
  
Jareth let out a ragged sigh. He pulled his hand away from her face. Sarah was  
shocked. Her skin was still warm where his hand had been only moments earlier. She  
didn't want him to leave.  
  
"Sarah, my magic is dying...and so am I." 


	9. A Question, An Answer

Chapter Nine: A Question, An Answer  
  
Sarah looked at the pale Goblin King. He wasn't the man whom she had known  
six years ago. He was different in so many ways, but he was so much the same as well.   
Sarah simply couldn't find a way to explain the changes that had just recently grown  
apparent to her.  
  
Jareth was being affected by something that could be obvious even to the least  
observant person. However, could it really be the magic dying? Sarah couldn't bring  
herself to think that the Underground was being destroyed. Magic never disappeared, as  
Jareth was trying to tell her. It merely existed and so it would continue to exist forever.  
  
"I think that maybe your confused, Jareth," Sarah explained.  
  
She stepped over to him. The memory of his touch still lingered in her mind.   
Sarah silently begged him to touch her once again. She knew that it was not to be, the  
moment that he looked back at her. His eyes burned with the fire that she had grown so  
accustomed to seeing. The old Jareth was back.  
  
"I am not the one who is confused, Sarah. You are the one who has not set her  
priorities straight. I have your friends in my dungeon and if you slip, they will face the  
consequences," Jareth spoke ominously.  
  
Sarah quickly stepped away from him. She didn't understand what had brought on  
the drastic mood swing. The man who had begged her to save him had been sweet. Sarah  
smiled as she thought about their touch again. It was immature to dwell on such a simple  
thing, but it had been amazing.  
  
Jareth stood straight and rubbed his head. His evil expression remained embedded  
deep within his eyes, but confusion had appeared there as well. He was obviously  
wondering what had happened a few minutes earlier.  
  
"Follow me, Sarah!" He demanded.  
  
Sarah clenched her jaw. Her anger was slowly seeping back into her thoughts.   
Jareth was so cold and cruel, but yet he had something else inside of him that was longing  
to be let free. Sarah wasn't sure exactly what it was, but she could tell that it was there  
amidst the anger and cruelty.  
  
Jareth led her down a long hallway and up a flight of stairs. His walk was brisk.   
Sarah remembered that he had said that her journey would be sooner than anticipated. He  
had meant a lot sooner, if his walk gave any indication of the urgency.  
  
"Why do I have to go through this journey? Why did you have to choose me out  
of all the other people? What do I have to do with anything that happens here?" Sarah  
asked.  
  
Jareth turned on her, his eyes flashing wildly. He pushed her back to the wall and  
stood before her. Sarah straightened herself up and glared at him. She brushed a stray  
cobweb from her thick brown hair.  
  
"You have everything to do with this! Don't you forget, Sarah, that your friends  
are my prisoners. One false move will mean harm comes to them. I cannot afford to be  
generous with you," Jareth threatened.  
  
Sarah ground her teeth. She tried with all her might to keep the horrid remarks to  
herself. However, all of her struggles were in vain. He had pushed her too far and she  
could no longer just sit and listen to Him threaten her. She tightened her hands into fists  
and then slowly let them loose.  
  
"I am not going to take anymore from you, Jareth! I hate you with all my soul,  
with all that I am and all I will ever be! You have no right to tell me what to do and you  
are holding me here against my will! I demand that you let me go!" Sarah yelled.  
  
Jareth pulled his hand back. It paused in the air. Sarah knew that he meant to  
strike her. She steadied herself for the blow.   
  
"I will not cringe. I will not scream!" Sarah demanded of herself silently.  
  
The blow never came. His hand remained poised by the side of his head and it  
shook violently. Then, with much difficulty, Jareth brought his hand back to his side. He  
looked at her for another brief moment and then stomped away. He looked back one  
more time from the stairs and scowled.  
  
"You will do as I say! You will pay for this!" Jareth replied in an icy tone. He  
then turned and rushed down the stairs.  
  
Sarah watched him leave. She waited until the sound of his heavy footsteps faded  
into oblivion. Only then would she allow herself to let her guard down. Sarah leaned  
against the wall and slid to the ground. She pulled her legs to her chest and clutched her  
arms tightly about them.  
  
"Why must he torment me so? I love the man who spoke so openly to me earlier.   
He had such kindness in his deep blue eyes," Sarah moaned.  
  
Her own mind was arguing with her words as she spoke. It was, once again,  
attempting to think everything through rationally. This part of her mind told her that no  
one could be so evil and so kind in the matter of a few minutes. It simply didn't happen.   
Jareth was either evil or good.  
  
"As if there is really a choice," Sarah muttered.  
  
There was no doubt that Jareth was evil. What sort of kind person would take  
babies away? Of course, people generally wished the children away, but it still wasn't  
right. He certainly didn't have to treat her so poorly. She was going to go through with  
the quest, but she couldn't stand his demands any longer. If she was going to go, then she  
was going to do it her way.  
  
Sarah nodded to herself and then carefully made it back to her feet. She brushed  
dust from her back and the seat of her pants. Her hands came back coated with a fine gray  
powder. It was horrible how dirty the place was. When goblins were running around,  
nothing remained clean for long.  
  
"Where are all the goblins?" Sarah asked herself.  
  
She had only seen three or four about the castle that day. They had been guarding  
her room, but not very well. There were probably a few more at each entrance and some  
watching over her friends in the dungeon. But, Sarah remembered a time when the castle  
had been positively bustling with hordes of goblins.   
  
Sarah looked about herself. There was no one to stop her from inspecting the  
castle. She knew that she wouldn't attempt escape. She couldn't leave her friends in  
Jareth's clutches. However, exploring was a perfectly acceptable thing to do. It would  
help to pass the time between then and when Jareth decided to speak to her again.  
  
Sarah walked down the hallway, glancing at the many wooden doors that lined the  
walls. She didn't find them interesting in the least. They were old and looked horribly  
heavy to open. After all, they would only reveal bedrooms, or empty rooms, or maybe  
even bathrooms. All in all the hallway was fairly boring.  
  
She turned down another hallway and didn't find anything much different. The  
hall ended at a flight of stairs that led further up. Sarah shrugged and decided to see  
where they would lead.  
  
The light fell away once she had reached the middle of the staircase. She squinted,  
but the darkness enveloped everything entirely. She would have to wait for her eyes to  
adjust to the lack of light. Sarah sat down on the steep stairs and placed her chin in her  
hands. The hallway she had been in previously offered only a scant amount of light.  
  
"This is pointless," Sarah said with a sigh.  
  
She got back to her feet and started to make her way down the stairs. She was  
sure that the darkness was just an attic of sorts. There was no reason for something of  
such little importance to be lit. It would be a waste of torches. However, she found  
herself wondering why the area at the top of the stairs lacked windows. Her questions  
would have to remain unanswered.  
  
"Wait, please don't leave," a tiny voice called from behind her.  
  
Sarah immediately stopped in her tracks. The voice did not sound like any goblin  
that she had heard before. They were lucky if their sentences were complete. This voice  
sounded young, but educated. Sarah's curiosity got the better of her and she ventured  
further up the dark stairs.  
  
"Wh-who are you?" Sarah asked cautiously. She wasn't sure what to think of  
someone who lived in the darkness.  
  
There was no response from the darkness. Sarah stopped in her tracks. This was  
an extremely dumb idea. The thing could be anything. She could be walking right into  
some horrible creature's trap at that very moment. Or, maybe it was a friendly creature  
who just wanted someone to talk to.  
  
"I'll get you a light, Sarah," the voice called down to her.  
  
Sarah watched as a light flared up with a brilliant orange color. The staircase and  
the room at the top, was bathed in the flickering flame of the lantern. Sarah sped up her  
walk. If the creature was evil, it was a fairly deceptive one.   
  
"How do you know my name?" Sarah hesitated.  
  
There was no response from the room above, only the soft orange light. She  
attempted to see into the room, but she was still too far away. Sarah decided that she  
would either have to hurry up or go back down. Jareth would remember her soon and  
come to collect his little "voyager."  
  
Sarah took a deep gulp of air and rushed the rest of the way up the flight of stairs.   
She stood before the room and let out the breath she had held on her way up. Sarah  
noticed a small shape sitting in a finely crafted chair. She warily walked over to the shape.   
  
The room appeared to be a bedroom. There was a splendid bed against the far  
wall and a mirror on a dresser. There was a window, but wooden shades had been shut  
across it. The ground was adorned with a remarkable rug. Its colors shone out brilliantly  
against the orange light.  
  
"Hello?" Sarah asked gently.  
  
The figure stirred and turned to face its guest. Sarah watched as the shape rose  
from its seat. It wore a robe that wrapped over the bottom half of its face. Even though  
her mouth was covered Sarah could tell the creature was smiling. Her eyes twinkled in the  
light from the lantern.  
  
"Hello, Sarah," she replied in a sweet voice.  
  
Sarah was entirely confused by that time. What was this strange person doing in  
Jareth's castle? What was she doing in the darkness? It all seemed very peculiar.   
However, the girl seemed polite and nice. Sarah just had a very inquisitive nature.   
  
"Please tell me what your doing up here in the dark? What is your name?" Sarah  
asked as she walked a bit closer to the strange girl.  
  
The girl looked to Sarah and then motioned for her to sit in one of the chairs.   
Sarah sat down, but couldn't force herself to relax. The girl sat down opposite her and  
sighed.  
  
"My name is not important at this time, Sarah, nor is the reason I live in this dark  
room. Do you have something else to ask me? I'm sure that you can think of a question  
that has been plaguing you recently. Try quickly, for my time is short," the girl said  
gently.  
  
Sarah was quite taken aback with the lady's short attitude. Why wouldn't they  
have much time? Maybe Jareth would soon be by to get her, but how could this lady  
know about that?   
  
"You do not have the time to think, Sarah. You only have time to ask what first  
comes into your mind. Please, hurry," the lady begged.  
  
Sarah thought desperately about what she wanted to know. However, she  
continued thinking about the reason why this girl should be in the castle. Her mind spun  
with a thousand different questions, but none of them would materialize. It would merely  
bob to the surface and then dip back before Sarah could attempt to grab at it.   
  
"Sarah," the lady warned in a frightened voice.  
  
"Think, think. You know that there is something important that you had wanted  
to know. It was earlier. It was... it was... Jareth was there and he..he," Sarah drew her  
eye brows together in an attempt to connect her jumbled thoughts.  
  
The lady's face had grown quite white. Her eyes no longer sparkled in the light.   
They were fearful. Sarah knew that she would soon run out of time. She had an important  
question to ask. She knew that she had one that had pestered her for a long time. What  
was it?  
  
"Damn, damn!" Sarah exclaimed.  
  
"I'm afraid that you don't have any time...," the lady began.  
  
It was as if a light was snapped on in Sarah's head. Her disjointed thoughts fell  
together and the question flew to her awaiting lips. She was shocked at the sudden  
revelation that had occurred with no time to spare.  
  
"No, wait. I want to know the reason why Jareth is so evil and yet so kind? I  
want to understand the reason why he is suffering and why the magic is dying? Please tell  
me how I can find the answer to these questions?" Sarah begged.  
  
The lady looked at Sarah with a motherly twinkle in her eyes. She stuck her hand  
beneath the robe she wore and then slowly brought it back out. The lady took Sarah's  
hand and drew it closer to her own.   
  
"Here Sarah. This is not the answer you wanted, but it is all I can offer to you.   
This will aid you in discovering the truth about Jareth and the strange disease that has  
struck the magic. I hope that you will find some use from it in your travels. Now, I must  
leave you, " the girl replied simply.  
  
Sarah looked down at her hand and opened it slowly. In her palm was a perfect  
necklace. The chain was of fine gold and was so tiny and delicate that she thought that it  
would break if twisted. Dangling from the chain was a golden circle. Something was  
written on the back, but she couldn't read it in the poor light. On the front a lovely scene  
had been etched. The scene appeared to be an intricate replication of the lands beyond the  
Labyrinth. Perhaps it was a map!  
  
"What are you doing up here?" a voice demanded from behind her.  
  
Sarah turned around and found herself staring at Jareth. His manner was  
foreboding and Sarah knew that he wasn't about to take anything more from her and her  
attitude. She looked to the chair the lady had been sitting in, but it was empty. In fact,  
the whole room looked different. The bed was broken and the mirror had been smashed.  
The lovely rug was torn and stained. The room was in shambles.  
  
"I was just looking around your castle. There was nothing better to do at the  
time," Sarah explained.  
  
Jareth stepped up by her and grabbed her arm. He jerked her to her feet with a  
little too much force. Sarah toppled forward and nearly fell. She grabbed the dresser with  
one hand and managed to knock the broken mirror to the ground. It shattered into a  
million shimmering pieces. Sarah, dumbfounded, looked at the broken mirror and knew  
that it wasn't going to do anything to improve Jareth's sour mood. In fact, she was nearly  
positive that she could hear him muttering something to himself. Sarah decided against  
saying anything at that time.  
  
"You are going to have to understand that there are very real consequences for  
theses careless actions," Jareth threatened.  
  
He grabbed her arm again and hauled her towards the dark stairs. Sarah followed  
behind without arguing. She was terrified about what he might try to do to prove his  
power over her. Sarah thought about her friends in the dungeon. She had been stupid and  
stubborn. There was no doubt in Sarah's mind that Jareth would harm her friends as  
proof that he was in control.  
  
"I'm going to fall if you keep tugging at my arm!" Sarah warned.  
  
Jareth dropped her arm and rushed the rest of the way down the staircase. Sarah  
followed close behind. He stopped at the bottom and turned to look at her. His eyes  
danced with penned in fury. Sarah shuddered. She could see some other emotion hidden  
behind the anger. It appeared that insanity had started to creep in on Jareth.   
  
"You don't look so well Goblin King," Sarah remarked in dead tones.  
  
Jareth gave her a strange knowing smile. He produced a perfect crystal ball from  
the air and held it before Sarah's eyes. She looked into it and her eyes instantly grew  
wide. Sarah shook her head in disbelief.   
  
Didymus stood in the center of Jareth's throne room. However, he wasn't moving  
and his bright fur had turned a dull gray color. He was frozen in a fighting position, as he  
had been so often since Sarah had met him. This time he wasn't going to charge at his  
enemy or hit someone with his staff. He couldn't. Jareth had turned him into a statue.  
  
Sarah backed away from the crystal ball and it immediately faded into nothing.  
Jareth looked mildly worried about the ball disappearing, but he turned his attention back  
to Sarah's reaction. He walked towards her as she backed away.   
  
"How could you?" Sarah demanded.  
  
Jareth returned her question with a sly smile. Sarah felt her anger boil and she  
knew that she would have to keep it under control this time. As far as she knew, her two  
other friends were still very much animated. If she decided to spout off at Jareth again, it  
would mean two more statues in the castle.  
  
"Sarah, I didn't do it. You probably find that hard to believe, but what would I  
gain by lying? I told you that the magic is failing. My goblins have turned to stone. It  
was only a matter of time before your friends started to as well. I must say, I wish I had  
thought of making my prisoners into stone. It would have made a good punishment,"  
Jareth's grin remained upon his face as he spoke.  
  
"You mean that I could go on this quest and return to have three statues instead of  
three living friends? What is the point of going through with it if I can't win?" Sarah  
asked.  
  
She backed into a wall and took in a deep gulp of air. Jareth stopped in his tracks  
and folded his hands together. His dark shirt rippled in the wind that had blown through a  
nearby window. His hair tossed wildly over his shoulders.  
  
"I think that you should ask yourself if you want to try to save everyone, or live  
with the guilt that you let your friends all turn to stone? Which one will it be Sarah?"  
Jareth already knew what her answer would be.  
  
Sarah lowered her head in defeat. She felt totally helpless. The Underground was  
dying and she was its only hope. How could she, a mere mortal, save an entire magical  
land? The idea was awfully overwhelming. However, if Jareth had wanted her to try to  
save everything, he must have known that there was something that she could do. She  
raised her gaze back to Jareth.  
  
"You know that I'll do it. I have to. I'm not doing it for you, Jareth. I am doing  
it for my friends and for magic. If this place should die, then I think the dream of magic in  
my world, will die as well," Sarah answered.  
  
Jareth's smile broadened. He was obviously happy with her. Sarah only wanted to  
run back to her room and cry. Everything seemed utterly hopeless. That was when she  
remembered the delicate necklace in her hand. She gripped it a little tighter and hoped  
that Jareth didn't realize that she had something in her hand.  
  
"Come, Sarah. I need to give you some important things. You have thirteen days  
to complete this quest. After that, my magic will be too weak to send you home. Do you  
understand that? You must return here before the thirteen days are over if you wish to  
return to your life," Jareth warned.  
  
Sarah simply nodded in response to his warnings. Thirteen days was really not a  
long time. How was she ever going to find even one of the thirteen crystals in two weeks?   
This was the whole Underground she had to search through, and it certainly wasn't small.   
Jareth had managed to add more stress to her already unnerving quest.  
  
He stopped outside a beautiful glass door that had been inlaid with crystal and  
carved into wonderful designs. Sarah stepped up to marvel at the lovely door. It certainly  
didn't fit into the general dirty and dismal atmosphere that surrounded the castle. It  
looked like something that belonged in a fairy tale.  
  
Jareth stepped before the door and blocked Sarah. He seemed to be daring her to  
try to pass him. Sarah crossed her arms over her chest and waited to hear what Jareth had  
to say.  
  
"Sarah, stay where you are. I can very easily crack that wonderful statue if you  
attempt to follow me," Jareth warned.  
  
Sarah scowled. She leaned against the wall opposite the door and watched as  
Jareth walked inside the peculiar room. Sarah only waited a brief moment to look at the  
lovely necklace the mysterious woman had given to her. It shone with golden vibrancy in  
the dim light from the setting sun.   
  
Sarah turned the medallion over to read the tiny inscription. However, the words  
were strange. She had never seen anything like them before in her life. Yet oddly, they  
were nearly familiar. Sarah tried to think about where the words might have been  
revealed, but the answer evaded her. She stuffed the necklace into her pocket as the glass  
door opened.  
  
Jareth held a burlap sack in one hand and two pieces of paper in the other. He  
carelessly handed her the papers and the sack. Sarah slung the bag over her shoulder and  
then opened the first of the two papers. It had a poem written on its yellowed surface.   
Sarah began to read through it, but Jareth pushed her forward.  
  
"I was trying to read, if you didn't notice," she reminded him.  
  
Jareth snorted and led her faster. He wasn't going to grace her comment with a  
response. Sarah was going to be glad to be out of the castle and away from him. Even if  
the quest was dangerous and terribly important, it was better than being pushed around by  
the cocky Goblin King.  
  
Sarah realized that he was leading her back to her room. They passed by the  
sleeping goblin that had been posted outside of her door. Jareth reached out with one foot  
and knocked the goblin to the ground. The dirty thing looked around and, realizing that  
his king had seen him napping, immediately returned to his post. Jareth stopped outside of  
her room.  
  
"I suggest that you get packed Sarah. Travel lightly, for you will have a lot of  
walking to accomplish," he said and then turned to leave.  
  
Sarah drudged into her room and tossed the bag and papers to her silken bed. She  
heard the door close and then it was securely locked. The sounds never phased her. Her  
depression was taking over all of her senses.  
  
"How am I ever going to be able to get through this? I simply can't find one  
crystal in thirteen day. How will I ever find thirteen of those magical orbs? I have no idea  
where I'm heading," she moaned.  
  
She fell to her bed and buried her head in the large, down pillows. She wanted to  
get away from everything, but the guilt would be terrible. She would have to try and just  
return home knowing that she had done everything in her power to attempt to save the  
Underground. She looked up from the pillow, her tear stained eyes blurring the room into  
an even more unfamiliar looking environment. There really was no hope.  
  
"Now Sarah, don't feel sorry for yourself! You are going to do this and your  
going to find one of those damn crystals. It shouldn't be too hard. After all, you were the  
only one to make it though the Labyrinth in time, despite all the obstacles Jareth put in  
your path. You are a strong woman! You will do this and you will save your friends.   
And then you Will tell that Goblin King exactly what you think about him!" Sarah  
demanded to herself in hushed tones.   
  
"What do you think of him?" a small voice rose from Sarah's subconscious.  
  
Sarah was startled at the annoying question. She remembered when Jareth had  
gently touched her cheek earlier. She hadn't wanted him to remove his hand. In fact, she  
had wanted him to come closer to her. She had tried to convince him to approach her, but  
he had drawn away and then had returned to his usual annoying self.  
  
Then there was the Jareth whom she hated. He was conniving and evil and sly.   
He always managed to trick her, or anger her, or both. The very sight of him brought  
flames of hate into her heart. This was the Jareth who had taken her brother and put her  
through Hell just to get him back! He didn't deserve any help from Sarah, but the other  
side of him did.  
  
"Oh, I'm so confused!" Sarah moaned.  
  
She slowly rose from the bed and approached the closet. There wasn't much time  
left. Sarah opened the wooden door and peered inside the vast closet. Sarah was utterly  
shocked with the magnificent ballgowns that were hidden within the darkened room. She  
walked in and ran her hands over the lovely silk and velvets used to create the positively  
marvelous gowns. It was unfortunate that she would never be able to try one of them on.   
Sarah forced herself to draw her hand away from the lovely dress and walked further into  
the closet. She had to find some sensible clothes to wear, not to mention a warm jacket.   
With the magic leaving, the generally warm days would probably turn cold.  
  
Sarah pulled out a simple brown cape. It had a hood and fastened at the neck.   
Sarah checked her own clothes and decided that they would probably be just fine to travel  
in. After all, the bag was small and she would need room for food. Sarah draped the cape  
over her shoulders and fastened it securely.  
  
She threw the map and the poem into her bag and then placed it over her shoulder.   
Sarah looked about the room, enjoying the lovely furniture and tapestries. She then  
started towards the door. She noticed the purse out of the corner of her eye. Sarah  
picked it up and fished out the crystal. Sarah placed it in her sack along with the charm  
Jareth had given her. They could come in handy during her journey. No one ever knew  
what might be of assistance until the need arose.  
  
She then knocked on the door sharply. The goblin guard mumbled something and  
then opened her door. It looked up at her with contempt as if she had caused the magic to  
die. Sarah made her way past the insignificant creature and headed towards the throne  
room.  
  
"Oh goodness!" Sarah exclaimed as she passed before a window.   
  
Sarah stopped in her tracks and gazed out. There was a perfect view of the  
Labyrinth from the window. It stretched out far into the distance. Sarah looked at the  
weaving and dead ends. She had no clue how she had ever managed to make her way  
through the horrible thing. However, what really caught her attention was a horrible sight  
that absolutely chilled her to the bone. The lovely sun that had always been so gentle and  
warm, was now changed. It shone with a sickly red color and had transformed a distant  
body of water into a sea of blood! 


	10. Such a Sad Love

Chapter Ten: Such a Sad Love  
  
Jareth sat languidly before the new statue. His gaze trailed over the intricate detail  
that had been worked into the rough stone. Of course, it naturally would be sculpted with  
fine detail. The animal had been very much alive a few hours earlier. There was no one to  
say that he was necessarily dead, for he was only stone.  
  
Jareth pondered over the perplexing situation for a few more moments. It was  
strange to think of rock as being alive. However, how could this Sir Didymus be dead?   
Jareth was fairly sure that everything would return to normal once Sarah had brought the  
magical orbs to him.   
  
Jareth thought about the one orb he had in his possession. He hadn't even been  
able to heal that sickly crystal. How was he ever going to heal the rest of the twelve?   
Jareth had refrained from telling Sarah about the other problem that was associated with  
her quest. She didn't need to know that he might not even be able to heal the crystals  
once she returned them. Knowing this might add to her anxiety. There was also a very  
real chance that Sarah would be stuck forever in the dead Underground.  
  
"Have I sentenced her to her death?" Jareth asked himself in a wavering voice.  
  
A cold chill made its way up his spine. He looked out the window and noticed that  
the sun had started to set far sooner than it normally did. The days were either speeding  
up or the sun was simply confused about what its job entailed. He laughed sarcastically at  
the odds that were stacked against him and Sarah.  
  
Jareth silently scolded himself for losing his temper with the girl. She had too  
many problems being pushed upon her at once. He shouldn't have ordered her as he had.   
Old habits die the hardest, or so he had been told. Perhaps the better way to deal with her  
would be as a friend.   
  
"She will think that you are trying to gain her trust," a horrid little voice whispered  
in his head.  
  
Jareth cupped his gloved hands over his ears and attempted to will the annoying  
voices away from him. However, their ever-pestering sounds lingered deep within his  
own soul, further away than he could ever attempt to reach with sheer willpower. Jareth  
finally relented and decided to reply, if at last it would purge them from his mind.  
  
"I want her to trust me," Jareth argued bitterly. He glanced around to assure  
himself of the fact that no one was near enough to hear his peculiar conversation.  
  
"Why?" the voice asked.  
  
WHY?!? WHY?!? It always came down to that ever present word. Why would  
you want her to trust you, Jareth? What would be your reasoning behind that little  
scheme? What are you hoping to gain from her trust?  
  
Jareth gritted his teeth against the constant war that enshrouded his thoughts  
presently. It was as if a totally different person lived within him, hoping to ruin the  
wretched life that he led. This person wanted to keep Jareth a single man, an island so to  
speak. Why did this other part want him to be so alone and shun anyone who ever cared  
for him?  
  
Jareth's mind wandered back to a time when he had once had someone. He  
remembered everything about his sweet companion, especially the cruelty she had endured  
from his very hands. He had not loved the woman, but she had offered a friendship that  
Jareth would never recognize until it was all too late. He regretted so much of his life,  
that it helped to simply forget about all of it and push it beneath a black veil. Jareth smiled  
at the thought. The past was something that many people studied, while he wanted to bury  
it in oblivion.  
  
"Or perhaps an oubliette," he remarked casually.  
  
"Why?" the voice drifted back to his thoughts.  
  
Jareth leapt from his throne and placed his hands to each side of his head. He  
grasped his blonde hair and tightened his hold, until his eyes watered from the pain. Only  
then did the horrid voice desist and slink further into the deep nothingness that was his  
subconscious.  
  
Jareth took his shaky hands away from his head and slowly opened his eyes. Luck  
was with him. No one had happened to wander into the throne room during his lost battle  
with self control. It would have been particularly awful if Sarah had seen him in such poor  
form. Jareth quickly straightened himself and pulled the wrinkles from his beige shirt that  
hung loosely from his thin frame. Jareth stepped before a mirror and cringed back from  
his reflection.  
  
"I appear to be more dead than alive," Jareth stated.  
  
His body had the gangly look of someone approaching anorexia. The clothes had  
managed to hide his emaciated form, but they would only work for so long. Beneath his  
eyes were light purple circles. The lack of sleep had taken its toll as well. Jareth brushed  
back his wild blonde hair with one hand. His image was terrifying and he could no longer  
dare to look at the mirror.  
  
"I should destroy every filthy mirror in my kingdom. They are no longer of any  
use to me. They only allow me to use them a few short times. They are far too fickle for  
my likes," Jareth said.  
  
He walked back to his throne and fell into it. Sarah was certainly taking a long  
time with her packing. He was shocked at her slowness. He had told her about the  
urgency and the haste she would have to use if she ever cared about returning home. He  
felt his impatience quickly turn to anger.  
  
"Why must she choose to defy every order I give her?" Jareth asked himself.  
  
This time the peculiar voice was not around to answer his question. It had gone  
into hibernation, so to speak, until it decided that Jareth would need another mental  
breakdown.  
  
The sweet scent of roses and honeysuckle tantalized Jareth's memory. He  
immediately expected to see his dear friend of so long ago. Perhaps she had returned to  
assist him with his problem and the destruction that the Underground faced. The image of  
her face flashed through his mind. She had been pale, not unlike himself, and her lips were  
of a cherry red. She had blonde hair that reached to her waist and shone in the sun like  
spun gold. She was slender and had been such a dancer. In fact, she had been the one to  
teach Jareth to dance. Jareth laughed as he remembered the times she had bandaged her  
feet while he cursed about the horrid pains it was taking to learn the infantile pastime. He  
had thought that it wasn't worth his time, but it had been. Jareth had also thought that she  
hadn't been worth his time, but she had definitely been. He only wished that he could  
make amends for his poor attitude. He had been so young then and never knew how  
special she was.  
  
"I was too damned young!" Jareth stated fiercely.   
  
The fates had played a cruel joke on him. They had offered him a companion and  
the chance to allow her to live forever, but he had been foolish. He hadn't even gifted her  
with magic to control the persistent clocks. Jareth himself could only guess at his age.   
There were no calendars in the Underground.  
  
"I cannot even remember her name," he complained.  
  
"Who are you speaking of, Jareth?" Sarah asked.  
  
She had obviously wandered in during his thoughts. Jareth immediately  
straightened up and looked over at Sarah. He had to suppress a joyful smile. Jareth had  
no idea what the strange emotion was that overcame him whenever Sarah wandered into  
view. It had been present for quite a few years, but he still hadn't been able to label it.   
Perhaps he never would. All he knew was that he was quite content to gaze at her lovely  
face for the time being.  
  
However, Sarah would only take so much of Jareth's strange attitude. She had to  
get started and he was only holding her up. Sarah adjusted her pack on her shoulder and  
then crossed her arms over her chest. She looked at him sternly, awaiting for him to leave  
his trance-like state.  
  
"Are you enjoying taking up my few remaining hours of the day?" Sarah asked  
angrily.  
  
Jareth closed his eyes and shook his head. He had to get his priorities straight if he  
was to save the magic. Sarah had to leave as soon as possible. Jareth felt a twinge of  
sadness pierce the very core of his heart. He realized that he did not want to see her leave.   
He wanted her to stay with him, even if it was only for a few short days. But, Jareth also  
knew that it would never work. Sarah would never trust him. His own evilness had  
destroyed what little trust she had ever had towards him.  
  
"I suppose you must be off on your journey. I take it that you have read through  
the poem and observed the map?" Jareth asked. He only wanted to talk without arguing  
for a short time they had to share together before she left.  
  
Sarah looked at Jareth closely. She couldn't understand how he had changed  
again. He was actually acting concerned towards her. Of course, the Jareth who she  
knew was never concerned for anything, but his own well-being. He was selfish! He  
probably wanted her to think that he was concerned. Sarah frowned at his conniving  
nature.  
  
"Just tell me what you must and let me leave. I have only a very limited time to do  
what you have ordered. If I wish to return my friends, I must hurry," she explained in a  
slightly harsher tone than she had meant to use.  
  
Jareth's heart burned with an intense jealousy. She wanted to be with a beast, a  
dwarf and a fox rather than him, the Goblin King?! It was unheard of. Jareth felt the  
strange voice rise back to the surface and push him aside. He was out of control once  
again and all he could do was watch helplessly as he jumped to his feet and rushed  
towards Sarah.  
  
"I should turn you into stone with your pathetic friends. Or, perhaps, I will force  
you to watch them change," Jareth threatened with and evil gleam in his deep blue eyes.  
  
Sarah's mouth dropped open in surprise. His evilness had been thrown at her so  
suddenly that she could barely realize what he had said. However, there was no doubt  
about the intensity of his threats. She backed up and let her arms slide to her sides. Jareth  
was positively the most heartless creature that had ever been forced upon any human  
being in the history of the world...of any world!  
  
"How could you?" Sarah demanded.  
  
Jareth smiled. He took great joy in her pains and the way she handled them. She  
looked to be near tears. It would be a new experience to actually witness Sarah cry.   
Jareth watched her patiently.  
  
Sarah noticed the intent gaze within his eyes and willed her tears to stop. She took  
in a few shaky breaths to control her frazzled emotions and then looked back to Jareth.   
He seemed to be a bit disappointed with her control. Sarah was utterly shocked that he  
had been looking forward to seeing her cry and break down in front of him.  
  
"I'm sure that you would have been the first to run and comfort me, Jareth," Sarah  
thought bitterly to herself.  
  
"Sarah, I can do whatever I wish. You must listen to me and do as I say if you  
ever want to see your dreary life again," Jareth stated in a simple voice.  
  
He turned from her and sat heavily in his throne. Sarah finally realized the extent  
of Jareth's illness. His clothing hung on him and revealed bony collarbones were it dipped  
lower. Sarah's eyes widened in concern. Jareth appeared closer to death than to life.   
However, her concern was useless, for Jareth didn't deserve anything.  
  
Jareth's eyes closed briefly as if he was contemplating a nap. He touched his  
chest with his hand. He was experiencing the pain once again. Jareth felt as if he was  
being torn in two by the horrid agony that ripped throughout his body. He could actually  
feel the change take place when the evil voice returned to his subconscious and his other  
nature resurfaced to gain control once again.  
  
"Perhaps I am being ripped apart," Jareth thought without much concern.   
  
Death seemed like a treat to him. His body was ravaged with a mysterious illness  
and the magic was leaving his kingdom to die. His life had been very long, longer than  
any mortal could ever hope to live. Perhaps with the death of the Underground his own  
end would occur.  
  
"I can't wait for you all day," Sarah replied harshly. She had not yet noticed his  
pain.  
  
"Must you be so harsh with me, Sarah? I am not trying to fight with you. Please,  
if you have any heart inside your body would you keep quiet for a short while. There is a  
viscious headache attacking me at the time," Jareth pleaded.  
  
Sarah placed her pack on the ground and removed her jacket. It had grown warm  
suddenly in the castle. She then walked over to Jareth. His words were of such  
conflicting natures. At one time he would threaten her and then he would make her feel  
like she was the horrid one. Sarah could not begin to understand the extent of Jareth's  
problems.  
  
She sat on the ground by his throne, feeling an awful lot like a little kid waiting in  
line to sit on Santa's lap, and looked into his pained face. Jareth looked like he had aged  
years in the short time between when she had walked in and now. There were lines that  
creased his brow in agony and purple splotches beneath his red eyes. Sarah felt horribly  
sorry for him, despite her better judgment. No one deserved to suffer so. She placed a  
hand on the arm of his throne, very near Jareth's own gloved one.  
  
His gaze trailed down to her. Sarah looked up at him uncertainly. She wasn't sure  
what to do. There was no way she could ease his suffering. Jareth made the move for  
her. He placed his shaking hand upon hers and squeezed it tightly. Sarah smiled up at   
him.  
  
His face gradually lost the agonized appearance and soon returned to normal, or  
nearly normal. His deep blue eyes were once again open and friendly. The evil fire was  
only a brief shadow deep inside. He stood up and helped Sarah to her feet, still holding  
her hand tightly in his own.  
  
"I must leave," Sarah said.  
  
She pulled her hand from his with quite a bit of will power. Jareth's eyes pleaded  
with her not to leave, but his mind told him differently. Forcing her to leave, hurt his  
heart more than did the strange illness. However, that was the way it had to be. Jareth  
edged a bit closer to her and gazed into her deep brown eyes.  
  
"Lovely Sarah, take care and return to me soon. I fear that I don't have much  
longer and I want to see you again before I meet my creator," Jareth replied.  
  
This was something Sarah simply couldn't take. Her emotions had been toyed  
with for too long. She could no longer deny his intense and caring eyes. The feelings for  
him overcame her with a wave of love. Sarah burst into violent tears and fell into Jareth's  
arms.   
  
Jareth, startled, supported the weeping Sarah. He allowed her to cry on his  
ematiated shoulder. He laid his head against her thick brunette hair and touched it gently.   
He could only wish that he had removed his gloves to fully experience its lovely texture.  
  
"Very good, Jareth. Confuse her as much as you want. It helps us greatly. Do  
you think you will be able to suppress me? I am so much stronger than you think. You  
will not be able to hold back much longer, soon I will conquer you," the voice sounded as  
if it came from everywhere, but it had come from within his mind.  
  
His eyes grew wide in horror. He was only helping the evil part of him. Jareth  
looked about the room wildly. If she loved him, then she would only be hurt more if he  
turned on her suddenly. His mood swings could not be trusted.  
  
Sarah had removed her head from his shoulder and looked up at him with  
tearstained eyes. She looked more beautiful than she had ever been before. Jareth's heart  
beat wildly in his chest. He simply couldn't hurt her.  
  
"She wants you to kiss her," his mind whispered to him.  
  
No, NO! I will not submit to you! I will do this my way. Leave my mind and my  
body! God, Help me to be strong! Jareth cried in silence.  
  
He suddenly pushed Sarah away. She looked at him with shock and hurt. Jareth  
only shook his head and then backed away. He couldn't dare to hurt her. She would  
never understand his reasons for pushing her away, but he had to. He struck his throne  
and nearly fell into it, but he turned and headed towards the door. He paused there and  
took in a deep breath.  
  
"Understand, I have my reasons," he answered simply. He then rushed from the  
room without a look back to her.  
  
Sarah watched him go with tears in her eyes and anger in her heart. He had played  
with her yet again. The man was cold and cruel. Sarah picked up her coat and her sack.   
She swung the sack over her shoulder and turned to the large iron doors that served as the  
only reasonable exit for the castle. Sarah looked back once and then turned away from  
him forever.  
  
* * * * * * * *  
  
In the tallest tower a thin man torn in half by warring emotions saw a young  
woman leave his castle. He stayed in the darkness and watched her as she walked away.   
He begged her to turn, for if she did, he would run to her and take her in his arms.  
  
"Warnings be damned," he said angrily.  
  
He watched as she walked through the deserted goblin city and through the  
massive doors that had once housed an enormous metal knight. It had long been damaged  
and never repaired. Jareth watched until Sarah disappeared in the distance. He still stayed  
there the rest of the long day, hating his very soul for hurting her so.  
  
"Why?" 


	11. I Wish the Goblins Would

Chapter Eleven: I Wish the Goblins Would...

Toby touched the door knob carefully, as if he was frightened about being caught. Actually, he was not attempting anything awful, just going into Sarah's old room. However, it always held a certain strange sense of magic. Perhaps it was all of her magical memorabilia that laid in its distinctive place throughout her room.

He swung the door open and took a deep breath. Not only did her room feel magical, but it smelled that way as well. There was a sweet scent of flowers and a summer day, but Toby could never describe it accurately. He was content with just enjoying her wonderful room and playing with her childhood toys.

Toby shut the door carefully behind himself and then rushed over to her dresser. Her most secret treasures had been hidden in the top drawer. Toby loved the book, especially. He had had his mother read it to him about twenty times. His mother, on the other hand, simply hated the book. She thought it was rubbish, as she so kindly put it. Toby ignored her pathetic complaints and begged her to continue reading.

He pulled the drawer open with a bit too much power. It nearly flew entirely out of the dresser. He jumped away and glanced around the room nervously. It was like a shrine to Sarah. Toby was the only one who dared to enter the room while Sarah was away. If something was broken, he would certainly lose the gracious privilege Sarah had given him. Toby inched back towards the drawer and pushed it in. He let out a long and relieved sigh when he realized that there had been no damage done.

"Don't be a chicken," Toby taunted himself. He smiled and began humming a new song that he had learned in school.

Toby, once again, opened the drawer and peered inside its darkness. A sense of exhilaration coursed through his body when the contents revealed themselves as the light found its way into the darkness of the drawer. He watched with anticipation as the music box came into view, then a photograph and then...then?

"Where's the book?" Toby asked the empty room.

He forgot his caution and pulled the drawer open the rest of the way. Toby pushed his hands in and frantically pulled the music box, pictures and other various items from the drawer. However, there was no book revealed. Toby could feel warm tears grow in his eyes and trickle down his chubby cheeks. He swiped at them carelessly and fell to the ground amidst the rest of Sarah's past.

His lip quivered as his tears started to become a bit heavier. He wasn't going to control them. As a matter of fact, he felt very much like bawling. He wanted his mother to feel sorry for him and give Sarah a call. She had the book memorized and could tell him the story. She would probably do a better job than his mother had.

Toby had just started to vocalize his sadness when something caught his eyes. He immediately turned the tears off as quickly as they had started and wiped the remaining wetness from his cheeks. He had seen something in the mirror, he was sure of it. Toby jumped to his feet and instantly took on the role of a hero.

"Where are you?" Toby called in his lower heroic voice.

Nothing answered. Toby placed his tiny fists on his hips and strutted about the room. He wasn't about to let some criminal take over Sarah's room. Wait, not a criminal, it was the sinister Goblin King. The entire plot unfolded in Toby's wonderful imagination.

The Goblin King had stolen his sister away from him. He would have to get her back. Toby stood before the large mirror and stared into it. Only his reflection could stare back. However, he knew that the evil man was waiting behind some dark corner or some shadow. He was waiting for Toby to say the words. He would have to say them to be brought to the Labyrinth and save his sister. That was what heroes did. As Toby thought more about his role, he decided that he would rather be a noble prince, with a horse!

"I am going to get my sister back!" Toby called, his voice lowering once again.

A cold gust of air blew through the open window. Toby shivered in his small T-shirt and wrapped his arms about himself. There was no reason for it to be cold. After all, it was the middle of May! Toby let out a sigh and then stiffled his imagination in order to close the window.

"Maybe _He _sent it!" Toby exclaimed as he snapped the window shut. He turned back to face the mirror.

"Through..umm...dangers and..stuff. I come here to get my sister back," Toby wracked his brain to try to remember the lines, but he simply couldn't.

Toby rushed over to Sarah's bed and sat heavily upon it. His game was being ruined without the book. He couldn't read many of the words, but his mom had always been able to help him. Without it, he couldn't even remember his most favorite passage in the entire book. He could feel the tears getting closer.

"Its not fair!" Toby whined.

_You say that so often, I wonder what your basis for comparison is?_ a voice seemed to drift through the room and the cold breeze brushed past him again.

Toby looked over to the window and gasped. It was open. He distinctly remembered closing it a few minutes earlier. He had been cold, so naturally the rational thing to do would be to...

_Rational thinking shall not return the Labyrinth to you, Toby._ the voice warned.

Toby jumped from the bed and rushed over to the door. He noticed the pile of Sarah's belongings on the ground and twisted his face in despair. He had to pick everything up. He couldn't risk it getting broken. Sarah would hate him. Toby stepped away from the door and hurriedly, but carefully, placed the items back into the drawer.

He could feel something evil in Sarah's room. The magical presence had grown so much stronger, but it no longer delighted him. It simply horrified him. Toby only wanted to run away, but his curious nature would not allow it. He had to find out if the Goblin King had really returned, or if he had imagined it all. Toby closed the drawer and looked into the mirror.

"Is it you?" Toby asked in a shaky, small voice.

There was another gust of wind to answer him. However, riding on the wind there seemed to be a laughter, an evil laughter. It reverberated through the room and hid in the shadows. It seemed to darken in Sarah's room, though it was still very much morning. Toby shuddered. He had to do something.

"Toby? Are you up there?" his mother called from downstairs.

The strange spell was instantly broken. The room lightened once again and the threatening laughter ceased. Toby looked over to the window and realized that it had been shut. It had probably always been shut. Toby had imagined it all.

"Mommy, did you see the book?" Toby called.

His mother opened the door and popped her head in to look at her son. She frowned a little at him. She had never approved of him messing with Sarah's items, but Sarah allowed it. She glanced around to be sure that everything was still in its proper place.

"I haven't seen that old thing, Toby. Come on down for lunch, it's going to get cold," she warned.

Toby nodded and then looked back into the mirror. His mother watched him for another brief moment and then shook her head. There was nothing more she could do, unless she forbade him from entering the room. It was easier to allow him to continue his games and wait for him to outgrow everything. She closed the door and walked back to the kitchen.

Toby made sure that his mother had left and then returned his gaze to the mirror's smooth surface. Toby smiled. He knew exactly what to say to make the Goblin King come out. Perhaps the man wasn't even all that bad. Perhaps, he would be fun to play with. Toby smiled at the prospect.

His stomach growled angrily at him. Toby looked into the mirror one more time. It would still be here after lunch. There was no doubt about that. Toby pulled himself away from the mirror and drudged back to the door. It swung open easily, he had actually thought that it would remain stuck, but that was only his imagination having some fun.

Toby closed the door behind himself. Instantly, the magical feeling was severed, leaving Toby in his horribly normal house in a boring, safe little town. He felt alone and sad. Sarah was his only true friend. Everyone else wanted to play cops and robbers, cowboys and Indians, or super heroes. Toby loved fantasy and so everyone else found him strange. It didn't bother him all that much. After all, he did have Sarah and her wonderful room.

Toby walked into the kitchen and scrunched his tiny nose from the smell of broccoli. His mother simply adored serving the most horrible tasting food. It would have been fine with him, but she forced him to eat it. Toby fell to his chair and gazed at the sandwich and the awful vegetable. Even carrots wouldn't have been so bad.

"Eat up Hon," his mother warned.

Toby pushed the green trash, (he couldn't bring himself to call it food), to the side of his plate. If any of the juice dared to infest his sandwich, he simply would lose his appetite. Toby was lucky that the noxious smell hadn't caused him to lose what little food was still in his stomach from breakfast.

"Toby, you want to go out with your Dad?" his father questioned.

Toby thought about that for a moment and then shook his head. He had a very important appointment with the Goblin King. He couldn't put it off for much longer. His father shrugged and continued with his soup. Toby ate the sandwich, carefully avoiding the crust. Every child knew that the crust would make hair grow on your chest. The thought of that only sickened Toby more. He couldn't imagine being that hairy. He would look like..like..an ape! His father had eaten crust and he was on his way to becoming an ape! Toby was quite sure.

He pushed the green stuff off his plate and nudged it over the edge of the table. Merlin instantly raised his large shaggy head and moved just enough to gobble the stray food. He never even raised from his laying position. Toby giggled at his lazy dog, but this caught his mother's watchful eye.

"Toby!" she exclaimed.

She marched over to the dog and the bits of broccoli that were still left scattered about the linoleum floor. Toby sunk into his chair and fiddled with he bit of crust. She was upset. She was going to force him to eat the horrible green stuff while she watched him. Toby nearly gagged at the thought.

She stood up with the dirty vegetables in her hands and looked at Toby. She looked entirely disappointed in him. Toby simply chewed his lower lip, a habit that he had picked up from Sarah. She let out an exasperated sigh and threw the food into the trash. She then sat down by Toby.

"I don't wanna eat it," Toby moaned.

"It's good for you, honey. You'll just have to eat more vegetables at dinner time," she explained.

Toby let out a whine and then scooted a bit further away from his mother. She watched for a few more moments and then went back to her cleaning. Toby looked over to his father, but he was reading the newspaper intently. It was a prefect time to sneak out of the kitchen and its vegetable smells.

Toby climbed out of the chair and rushed into the living room. No one had noticed. He was free to explore Sarah's room in privacy. Toby started up the stairs, but paused when a strange noise floated towards his ears. It sounded like music. It sounded like magical music!

Toby rushed up the steps and threw open the door to Sarah's room. He looked inside anxiously, expecting to see the infamous Goblin King. The only thing to greet him was the scent of flowers and magic. The room was bright and friendly once again. Toby could not even sense a trace of the man's voice he had heard earlier. It slightly brought down his good spirits. His mother had interrupted his game long enough to force the magical Goblin King back to the Underground. It wasn't fair!

Toby sat in Sarah's chair and slouched down. His lower lip pursed out in a pout. He was used to getting what he wanted. In that sense, this day had been horrible. He hadn't gotten the book, his mom had nearly forced him to eat broccoli and now the Goblin King had left. It was very depressing.

Toby looked into the mirror and an idea instantly flashed into his vivid imagination. He knew the story nearly by heart. He knew how people had called upon the Goblin King to take something away. Perhaps he could convince the magical man to come to him. It sounded promising. After all, Sarah's room was magical. There was no better place to try the magic words and see if they really worked.

He took in a deep breath and summoning all of his courage, forced the words to come from his mouth. Toby stuttered for a brief time and then collected his thoughts. This was one line that he had had memorized for a long time.

"I wish that the goblins would come and take me away...right now!"

The light instantly faded from the room and soon it was bathed in darkness.


	12. Furrygatherers

Chapter Twelve: Furrygatherers

Sarah fell to the ground in the cool darkness of the Underground. The grass felt fresh and damp beneath her tired legs.. She smiled and laid back in the wonderful dew that covered the ground. It made her feel renewed after such a long walk. Her muscles were bunched in horrible knots and felt as if they had suddenly caught fire. She had tried to massage them, but to no avail.

The sky was clear and dark overhead. The moon shone brilliantly in the vast expanse of jet velvet that was the sky. It truly looked like one of Jareth's crystals. Her eyes trailed over the millions of strange stars that appeared in totally different constellations than she had ever seen before. Sarah could recall a time when her father and she had laid beneath the stars and tried to find every constellation they could. It brought a twinge of homesickness to her soul, but just for a moment. To let the truth be told, Sarah felt more at home in the Underground than at her own house.

"I guess that I'm just strange," she whispered into the cool night.

It was entirely empty. Sarah hated being alone. Before, she had had her companions to help her through the Labyrinth . This was a much more difficult quest and she had to do everything alone. It sounded horrible. Sarah rolled on her side and tried to concentrate on anything else. She simply couldn't get depressed so soon.

Her mind instantly flashed back to thoughts of Jareth. She scowled in anger towards the way he had toyed with her emotions and then tossed her away as if she had been a useless bag of rubbish. She had actually thought that he, in some strange way, perhaps loved her.

"It was absurd! You have just proven to yourself, Sarah, that that _man _cannot be trusted. He...he, well he's our enemy," Sarah stammered. Her anger was fogging her mind.

She knew that sleep wouldn't come easily after such horrible thoughts. Her anger was too strong and her wounds too fresh. She lifted her pack and swung it back over her shoulder. A little more traveling couldn't hurt. She tightened the cloak about her and shivered slightly in the cool air. Sarah silently wished that she had been wearing a sweater when she had been forced back into the Underground.

Sarah watched her surroundings as she walked. The trees were magnificent in their ancient splendor. Their leaves were of the purest green, a shade she had never seen in her world. However, there was no true magic in her world, only frauds.

"Magicians," she snorted to herself.

They had no real idea what magic was all about. They simply performed intricate illusions. They were all too cocky. If any one of those dumb performers had ever happened into the Underground, they would shun magic for all time. It was quite terrifying when one got to its very roots.

A hoot of an owl caught Sarah's drifting attention. Sarah spun around and strained her eyes to see into the dark trees. Owls only meant one thing, _Jareth_!

"How dare he even attempt to follow me! After all he did he should hide away from me as far as possible," Sarah muttered under her breath.

The owl suddenly took flight. Sarah watched it fly into the dark sky and head deeper into the forest. She let out a silent breath when she realized that it was a simple brown owl. Jareth hadn't followed her, yet. She shivered once again as a cold breeze blew under her coat.

"_I-I...,"_

Sarah paused as a child's voice drifted to her ears. It had come from the forest, or perhaps somewhere else, but she had heard it. The voice shocked her, for she knew who it belonged to. The next second she was terrified. Why was she starting to hear Toby? Jareth couldn't take Toby again. He had never spoken the words... Sarah's thoughts trailed off as the voice continued.

_"I wish that the Goblins would come and take me away, right now,"_ Toby muttered the cursed words.

Sarah screamed hysterically. She dropped her bag and ran towards the sound of the voice, but it echoed from everywhere. She turned and tried to find him in the other direction. Sarah knew in her heart that she would not find Toby in the forest. He had been at home when he sealed his fate. Why would he ever make such a horrid mistake?

"Why? Oh, Toby! Jareth! Jareth, please don't take my brother. Spare me something!" Sarah moaned.

There was no reply from the silent forest. Even the owl she had seen earlier wasn't there. Sarah sat on a rock near her pack and placed her head in her hands. Toby would be in Jareth's castle shortly, and then he would change into a goblin. She couldn't turn back and try to save him. That would put the entire Underground at risk.

Sarah suddenly remembered the crystal Toby had given her. She lunged towards her pack and pulled out the beautiful gift. It shimmered in the moonlight and only appeared more lovely. Sarah wondered how the crystal had ended up in her world, unless Jareth had simply left it there for her.

"Please let me see Toby?" Sarah asked.

The crystal ball glittered with a bright blue light, but then it faded away. She shook the crystal violently in her hands, but there was no response. She hurled it into the woods and then rolled her hands into fists.

"It isn't Fair!!" Sarah screamed into the woods.

She no longer cared if Jareth heard her or not, thought her childish or not. She only wanted her life back. She didn't mind it being dull and the fact that she didn't fit in. She only wanted to return home with all of her heart and her soul.

"Who cares about the Underground!" Sarah said vehemently.

The necklace that had been a gift from the strange woman in Jareth's castle, suddenly grew hot about Sarah's neck. She picked it up carefully by its fine chain and looked at the strange inscription. Sarah then turned it around and noticed that there was something glowing on the picture.

"What?" Sarah asked herself.

She looked closer at the necklace. However, the glow never faded. It was part of the medallion. Sarah set the necklace back down and fished the map from her bag. The picture on the front had to be a map. That would mean that the glow was one of the orbs. The lady had helped her once again.

Sarah folded the map back up and placed it gently in her bag. Her wild mind had slowed down abruptly and left her feeling drained and exhausted. Sarah kneeled on the cool, soft grass and laid on her side. She placed her pack beneath her head and closed her eyes. Sleep found her shortly after.

**The morning sun drifted** lazily between the thick canopy of leaves overhead. Morning dew clung to the plants lower on the forest floor. Everything appeared pure and clean in the pristine morning. It was as if there was a new start, but it was not so. The lovely day was only masking the death and pain that the land was facing, as the sun rose over the horizon.

Sarah fluttered her eyes in the morning sun. She blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the sudden amount of light striking her. She rolled on her back and winced at the pains that ran down her spine. The ground was not one of the most comfortable things to sleep on. She stretched and her spine crackled in protest.

Her mind drifted back to the wonderful bed she had awoken to the morning before. The silken sheets had caressed her skin and the pillows had cradled her head. Now all she had was grass, dirt and a lumpy bag full of supplies. It was going to be a long thirteen days.

Her memories of the night before came to her mind slowly. She was still very groggy from the uncomfortable sleep. She could recall Toby calling something into the forest. He had wanted to come here. No, he had called upon Jareth to bring him to the Underground. Toby was now here as well. Sarah would have to try harder to return the crystals. She couldn't risk anything happening to Toby. She would never be able to forgive herself for something that awful.

Her stomach let out a mournful cry of protest. Sarah had entirely skipped dinner the night before. She opened her pack and pulled out an apple that she had included with the rest of her food. There wasn't much, but she was expecting to acquire more as the trip went on.

Sarah glanced around the forest as she ate. There was nothing better to do. The trees surrounded her from every angle. Each direction looked strangely the same. It was almost as if the forest had become a Labyrinth. Sarah didn't like the thought, but it was very possible that this area of the Underground was just like the Labyrinth, confusing.

Sarah caught movement out of the corner of her eye and spun to face the direction from which it had come. There was nothing to see. She turned her attention back to her breakfast. There was something there, but it was obviously afraid of her. Sarah would just have to wait for the creature to approach her.

A twig snapped in the near distance and something took in a harsh breath. Sarah smiled slightly and fought to control her laughter. She won, by a slight margin. The creature was trying very hard not to make a noise. She didn't want to let it know that she was very sure of its presence.

Sarah waited a few more minutes to be sure that the mysterious creature had wandered into view. She continued to chew on her apple, even though she had already reached the core. Sarah placed one hand on the ground by her hip and spun herself around.

The small creature looked like a raccoon, nearly. It was about three feet tall and was entirely furry. He had wide, scared eyes and whiskers. However, instead of paws, he had hooves. Sarah looked at him and he looked at her. They continued with their staring contest for a short time and then the tiny thing turned to run back to shelter.

Sarah leapt at the creature and managed to catch him by his tail. It screeched angrily and attempted to kick at her with its small hooves. The creature only managed to land on his face. He turned over on his back and stuck his feet straight up in the air. This time Sarah couldn't hold back her laughter.

She let go of his tail and fell to her back as the laughter surged forth. She grasped her belly, but still she could not suppress the giggles that had attacked her. Sarah felt tears run down her cheeks, but was helpless to stop them.

The small creature looked at her strangely. It turned itself over and then slowly made his way to his feet. He approached Sarah another step closer and bent down to sniff the air with his small black noise. He then tapped Sarah's knee with one of his hooves. Sarah did not reply. She was just beginning to gain control of her laughter.

"Wh-who are you?" Sarah managed to ask between gasps for air.

The thing appeared surprised to hear her speak. He immediately straightened up and jumped a foot away from her. Sarah remained in her spot, holding her aching sides. She had laughed too much, but it had felt good. She felt much more optimistic about the quest after her joyful moment.

"What are you?" the creature asked.

"I'm Sarah. I guess that your king, Jareth, sent me out here to help all of you. Now, please tell me what your name is?" Sarah asked with a smile.

The creature looked at her skeptically. He wasn't one to take chances, that was obvious. Sarah continued to wait patiently for the creature's response. Perhaps he could be a friend. Sarah hated traveling by herself. A new companion would be priceless.

"I'm Kyper. I-I saw you had food," he paused as he pointed to her bag.

Sarah looked back to her provisions. She hadn't brought enough for even herself, and now this new creature wanted some. She should have thought more about the food, but she had wanted to leave. Sarah grabbed the sack and pulled another apple from it. She would just have to find food elsewhere.

Kyper's small black eyes looked at the apple. He then looked back at her, worried about taking the food. However, his stomach soon won over his better judgment. he snatched the apple from Sarah's hands and bit into it ravenously. Sarah wondered why this creature appeared to be starving. This was a forest. There should be food everywhere.

"Are you lost, Kyper?" Sarah asked with concern in her voice.

Kyper shook his head, but his eyes remained on the food. Apple juices ran down his furry chin and gave him the appearance of having a mustache. Sarah put her hand to her mouth and stifled another outburst of laughter. She certainly didn't want to hurt Kyper's feelings.

He bit the core in half and then tossed the rest into his large mouth. Sarah watched in astonishment as the whole apple disappeared into Kyper's gaping mouth. He then licked his hooves and turned his gaze back to her. He seemed to be much more trusting of her, now that his hunger had been satiated.

"Are you here to save the crystal?" Kyper asked carefully.

Sarah's heartbeat sped up. She swallowed deeply, but her throat suddenly felt ten times smaller and far too dry. She suppressed an urge to choke. Kyper knew about the crystals. Maybe he also knew where to find some of them.

"Yes. Yes," Sarah replied a little too hurriedly, "Please, Kyper, do you know where I can find any of the thirteen crystal orbs?"

Kyper's black eyes lit up with happiness. He bounded into the air several times, clapping his hooves together. Sarah watched with wild amazement at Kyper's actions. However, she really needed to be heading on. If Kyper had some vital information, it would be best told as soon as possible.

"I must bring you to Poppa and Mom. They will be so pleased with me!" Kyper exclaimed.

Sarah realized why Kyper was so cautious. He was still young. Sarah was never going to get used to the Underground creatures. She picked her pack up and swung it over her shoulder. Kyper watched her with worry embedded deep within his eyes. The happiness quickly faded away.

"You will come, right?" Kyper asked.

Sarah knelt down by him. She wasn't sure exactly what to tell him. She had to continue with her quest. There was a crystal that the necklace had pointed out, but it wasn't anywhere near here. Sarah decided that she would have much travel ahead of her if she was to find it.

"I really enjoyed talking with you, Kyper. I need to get going so that I can save the crystals. If you know where I can find one, then you would be helping me a lot to save them," Sarah explained.

"Yes, yes. I know where you can find them. You have to come with me. I can't tell you. I would get in a lot of trouble. They would never ever let me come out by myself again. You do understand that, right? I mean, I will show you once you come with me," Kyper stated urgently.

Sarah touched her necklace with her hand. It was still warm. She knew that it was trying to tell her something, but what? Perhaps it would be better to go with Kyper. He seemed to have an idea about where Sarah could find an orb. It sounded promising. Sarah got up to her feet and brushed some stray dirt away from her clothes.

She looked around the strange woods that were very near as confusing as the labyrinth. Her time was limited and since Kyper seemed to know his way, he could prove to be very helpful. Sarah finally relented. Even if it was a dead end, perhaps Kyper's people could offer her some help.

"Okay, Kyper, I'll come with you," Sarah said with a smile.

Once again Kyper leapt into the air with joy. He looked at Sarah and then touched her hand with his own hoof. It was as if he was trying to hold her hand to lead her into the woods. However Kyper dropped her hand the next moment and rushed into the woods. Sarah only watched him for a second and then rushed after him.

Kyper was an exceptionally fast sprinter. He had only to start into a run and soon would be yards in front of Sarah. She ran after him, but there was no way to keep up with the energetic creature. Her poor overworked muscles screamed in agony and complaint at her misuse of them. They hadn't been worked this hard for quite a long time.

Sarah finally brought herself to a halt. Her breathing was coming in short gasps and her entire body felt as if it had been lit on fire. Kyper stopped abruptly, leaving a cloud of dust wafting in the air from beneath his hooves. He jogged back to Sarah and looked at her. His small black eyes widened in concern.

"You okay?" Kyper asked.

Sarah nodded. However, she could not slow her breathing enough to answer him. Kyper fell to the ground and waited for Sarah to regain her stamina. She was a very curious creature. He had never known anything so slow. If he had been as slow as Sarah, he would most definitely have been prey to some animal long ago. As it was, just waiting there was dangerous. Many creatures were hungry and waiting for some unfortunate animal to grow slow or drop his guard. Kyper was not about to do either.

"Oh, Kyper. I simply can't keep up with you. I wasn't made for such speed," Sarah explained.

She bent over and rubbed her calves that had decided to turn to rock. They protested mildly, but mostly enjoyed the break. Sarah stretched them and winced at the thought of the pain that was waiting for her to walk again. Kyper would just have to slow down if he truly wanted her to go with him.

"We need to go," Kyper warned. Fear flashed in his black eyes.

Sarah got to her feet and stretched a little more. She was fairly sure that she would be able to make the walk, but certainly not a run.

"Why don't we take it easy, Kyper? We can walk to your home. I don't believe I can run all that way," Sarah explained.

Kyper scuffed his hooves in the dirt. He was obviously contemplating her idea. He let out a sigh and then nodded his head reluctantly. For a short moment Sarah believed that Kyper was afraid of something and that that something was close by. However, that was absurd. There wasn't anything that horrid in the Underground. The worst thing that Sarah had ever seen were the goblins. Even Ludo, who appeared so deadly at first, was a real teddy bear when you got down to it. Kyper was a child who had been warned to be careful by overly protective parents. He was playing off of their fears.

"Where do you live anyway?" Sarah asked.

Kyper glanced up into the trees. His small eyes trailed over each one carefully. He turned his head back to Sarah. Was he lost? Could that be the reason that he was so frightened and anxious to return home? If he was lost, then that would mean that she didn't have a very good guide.

"Just my luck," Sarah thought bitterly.

Kyper's large triangular ears perked up. He sniffed the air and then came to an abrupt halt. Sarah nearly ran into him. She stopped behind him and waited for the little animal to begin walking again. However, Kyper had another idea.

"There's something out there," Kyper warned.

His whole furry body seemed to shake. Even his whiskers twitched nervously. Sarah glanced around herself. She wished that she had brought something useful with her, like a gun. She felt vulnerable. The magic was dying and anything could be happening to the animals that inhabited the Underground. Sarah supposed that they could even turn into awful beasts.

Kyper rushed behind Sarah and grabbed one of her long legs. Sarah rolled her eyes. He certainly wasn't one of the most brave companions she had ever had. Her mind returned to thoughts of poor Didymus. He would have loved another adventure. However, he had been set in stone. Sarah still wondered if Jareth had turned Didymus into stone. She hadn't seen any stone sculptures in the forest. Perhaps Jareth had tricked her once again.

"Do you think about the king often?" Kyper asked. His fear seemed to have been pushed aside for the time being.

Sarah was startled at his question. How could Kyper know what she had been thinking, unless he could read minds. That was an awful thought. It certainly wasn't as bad as the idea of Jareth reading her mind, but it was still unnerving. Sarah instantly turned to the small animal.

"Can you understand my thoughts, Kyper?" Sarah inquired.

Kyper puffed up his furry chest with a deep breath of air. He sauntered in front of Sarah and only succeeded in nearly falling over a large rock. Kyper gave her a strange foolish grin and scratched his fuzzy head.

"I'm learning from Leader. He said that we could all do it eventually. But, the orb is dying and Leader is afraid of what is going to happen. He says our evil king is frightened. He said that someone was going to be sent to fulfill the prooferky," Kyper stumbled over the word.

"Prophecy," Sarah replied absentmindedly.

Why would there be a prophecy about her? She had not been in the Underground much. Sarah had not even seen anyone from the Underground for six years. The idea that her whole life had already been planned out, was absurd. There simply couldn't be a prophecy about her. That would mean that everything that had happened had been a big plan. She had been fated to beat the Labyrinth and Jareth, she had been fated to return, and she had been fated to find the crystals. It couldn't possibly be so.

"You should talk to Leader. He'll know the answers," Kyper replied.

Sarah shrugged the worry out of her thoughts and straightened herself up once again. It was too bad that Kyper was so short. It gave her quite a pain to constantly bend down to speak to him. Of course, it wasn't his fault. He was still young and the rest of his little clan was probably short too.

"Kyper, I know that you're just doing what you've been taught, but do you think you could refrain from reading my thoughts? They're kind of personal," Sarah explained the best she could.

Kyper observed her strangely. He looked full of skepticism. Sarah felt like she had just committed some grave crime by asking the telepath to stop reading her thoughts. Perhaps she could take her question back. She didn't want to hurt the little creature. That had been the furthest thought away from her intentions.

"Oh, all right. You'll have trouble convincing everyone else, though. I know that Leader will do what you want. He's been looking forward to meeting you," Kyper stated. His eyes shone with happiness.

Sarah continued to walk through the cool forest. Her gaze was content to merely take in the lovely surroundings. She was slightly jealous of Kyper. He was able to live his life in a lovely place that was full of magic. However, this place was dying. If it died, would that mean that Kyper and his family would too? The question struck her suddenly and she was glad that Kyper had stopped reading her thoughts.

"What are you Kyper?" Sarah asked gently.

"We're called furrygatherers. At least, that's what the other things call us. Leader says that we shouldn't be called by such a dumb title, but he puts up with it," Kyper explained as he trailed in front of Sarah.

A twig snapped in the near distance. Kyper halted. He sniffed the air and his ears instantly drooped. Sarah watched with fear. The little furrygatherer was terrified. She would have to trust his keen nose and his instincts. Kyper turned to her, his small eyes burning with terror.

He edged back away from where the sound originated. There was something there. Sarah could see it shift between the dark tree trunks. The creature was watching Kyper and her. Sarah's heart beat fiercely in her chest and she was sure that Kyper could hear it quite easily.

A branch snapped and the creature drew more into focus. It appeared to be nearly as large as Sarah, but height didn't matter. Sarah had seen the sunlight glimmer on a pair of dripping white fangs. This was certainly not a friendly creature.

"RUN!" Kyper exclaimed.


	13. Golden Visions

Chapter Thirteen: Golden Visions

The boy had fallen asleep shortly after coming from his world to the Underground. It had been far too much for his small, delicate body to handle. Jareth feared that the ripping sensation would be something that would plague the child's dreams for years to come. However, he had taken it quite well. He had looked at Jareth and fainted away.

Jareth had no idea what had possessed the child's mind to call upon the Goblin King to take him away. Perhaps, the child had simply thought that it was all made up. However, he didn't act that way. He was very much like his sister and Jareth feared that he would have another determined kid on his hands. He would make the boy sleep as long as possible. He needed the rest.

Jareth silently wondered to himself if Toby actually remembered the Underground and the goblins that he had seen the last time that he was here, six long years ago. Toby hadn't wished himself into the Labyrinth that time. That had entirely been Sarah's doing. Of course, that had been a different Sarah. She had been a child and upset with her dull life. Jareth was sure that Sarah was still very much disappointed with her life, but didn't want to admit it to herself.

Toby stirred in his sleep and let out a pathetic whimper. Jareth glanced about the room and then waved his hands over the boy's sleeping body. It was not time yet to awaken. The spell was using a lot of very precious magic, but Jareth knew that the boy needed more time, not to mention, that Jareth was not quite ready to speak to him.

"The boy asked to be taken, so I did as he said. This is not my fault," Jareth stated to himself as he walked from the room.

However, inside he knew that Sarah would still consider it Jareth's doing. Bringing Toby to the Labyrinth had been the furthest thing from Jareth's mind. He didn't want to waste magic on such a small boy. Even if the boy was Sarah's brother, what good could it do? She had already headed out on the quest. Having the boy only complicated things. However, Jareth could not suddenly turn down a boy's request to be taken. The fates had decided that Jareth would take unwanted children, so he had no choice.

He closed the door silently behind himself and bolted it shut. There were only three brave goblins left in his castle. Those three were left to guard the prisoners. Once Ludo had broken his ropes and nearly escaped, but Jareth had managed to use one of his few crystals left to subdue the beast. There wasn't much time left. Soon the two would escape and then his plan would be ruined.

Jareth walked slowly to his crystal room. There was much thinking to do. The doors opened before him and closed after he had made his way through the arched doorway. He fell to the chair in exhaustion and looked skeptically towards the oval mirror. He doubted that it would obey him, but there was no harm in trying.

Jareth waved a gloved hand before its reflective surface and waited, anxiously, to see if the mirror would be agreeable. It flashed a brilliant white color and then dropped to a mild blue. The mirror lost its reflection and changed to a picture of a Sarah. She was standing in the forest with a strange animal. A look of terror was upon both of them.

"What is wrong with them?" Jareth asked, concern slipping into his voice.

The mirror did not reply. It simply showed the image of Sarah and her animal friend. She had had a knack for befriending the inhabitants of the Underground. Jareth's heart dropped as he noticed the two take off in the other direction. A sudden noise was emitted from the mirror. It sounded like heavy footsteps and trees crashing. Then the mirror turned white once again.

"No, no! Show me what has happened and what the creature is that dares to chase them!" Jareth demanded.

The mirror would not comply. It remained white for a few more moments and then turned a fantastic purple color. In the purple was a woman's face. She was young and beautiful, but she was not Sarah. Jareth felt his anger surfacing once again. The mirror had showed him his old companion. Why was it determined to taunt him?

The young girl only looked at him with her yearning eyes. She had wanted so much, more than Jareth could ever give her. She had offered him everything, including her love, but he had scoffed at that and turned her away. The mirror was determined to reopen old wounds and infest them with guilt. Jareth wasn't about to put up with it. Her sad eyes watched him as he rose from the chair.

"I will not tolerate this! I have forgotten you! Can't you understand and leave me with my remaining days in peace? Have you returned to seek revenge? I feel that you only need to look at my kingdom to understand the amount of suffering I have gone through so far. I am dying! Is that not enough revenge for you?" Jareth snarled.

He drew his hand back and smashed the mirror. It exploded in a bright flash of light and the pieces flew throughout the room. They tinkled upon the ground like rain. Jareth did not attempt to shield himself from the razor sharp shrapnel. His anger was fuming uncontrollably and the fine cuts over his arm and face brought him no pain. Jareth looked at his sliced arm absently. It had been a long time since he had seen his own blood. Jareth smiled. Perhaps, he would die from loss of blood.

His anger suddenly faded and left him feeling spent. He collapsed to the chair after a few staggered steps. His power was weakening quicker than he had anticipated. Sarah would have less time. He wished that he had decided to send someone else on the quest. By the time that Sarah was back, he would no longer be able to send her and her brother home.

Jareth glanced at the ground. His blood had pooled about the chair and was attempting to stain the crystallized surface. He rose to his feet and was met with and intense wave of vertigo. The whole room spun out of focus and then swirled back in for a moment. Jareth staggered towards the door that seemed to be leaping further and further away from him. He lunged forward and struck his injured arm upon the glass door. A streak of crimson blood was left on its pure surface.

He swung it open with more force than was required. It slammed against the wall and a fine mass of cracks found their way in the center of the glass and crystal. Jareth ignored the damage and continued down the hall. He needed help. The world turned black and then snapped back the next instant. Reality was slipping through his fingers.

"Oh my...," Jareth never managed to finish his statement.

His heart beat skipped several times and then raced. A deep pain welled within his chest and then moved up his entire body. Jareth placed his hand on his heart as he fell against the closest wall. Brilliant white dots shone in his vision. He was going to die, after all. Jareth smiled and slowly slid down the wall. His suffering was coming to an end. He would not be forced to watch his kingdom die.

The white dots before his eyes turned black and slowly spread to cover his entire field of vision. Jareth closed his eyes and waited for death to take him. However, the destroyer stayed away and allowed Jareth to simply slip into unconsciousness.

**There was an intense** white, that he remembered. There was also pain in his arm. Someone was applying a cold substance to his injury. The liquid stung fiercely, but there was no way to voice his complaints.

"Shh," the voice whispered tenderly.

He could remember gold had interwoven with the intense white. The gold was what had struck him the most, but he didn't know where it had come from. It was a woman who was healing him. Her voice revealed that fact.

"Sarah?" Jareth's voice asked happily.

A face came slightly to focus. It was rimmed with gold. He saw deep eyes that were stained red with tears that had been shed eternally. There was pain, sadness and love in them. He still thought it was Sarah, even though the two looked nothing alike. Jareth managed to move his weak hand and grab her arm. The face seemed almost to transform into that of Sarah's. This only convinced Jareth that she was the one standing beside him.

"Sarah, I must tell you something that I have held hidden for six years," he strained.

His vision was still very blurred. The woman wrapped a bandage over his wound and then stood up. She was shorter than Sarah. He realized that. However, his mind would not believe that it wasn't her. Her face faded back into a strange one, but it was vaguely familiar. Where had he seen it before? Where had he seen her before?

"Please, no," the voice muttered.

His head swam with dizziness once again. He would have to speak quickly before he drifted out of reality. Jareth attempted to touch her hand, but she was too far away. The fragrance of roses and honeysuckle drifted through Jareth's senses. This was all it took to confirm the fact that it was not Sarah with him. Jareth fought against the darkness that was trying to capture him once again. He finally understood who was by his side.

"Why have you returned?" Jareth asked.

The woman only shook her head. She backed away from Jareth into a harsh light. Jareth squinted and tried to see where she was going, but he couldn't. She faded away slowly. The gold was the last to disappear from his vision. He wanted to grab her and tell her that she could stay with him. They could have a friendship. However, she was gone again.

"Katriana," he stated gently.

Her name felt like a smooth liquid flowing from his lips. He savored it again in his mind and then relaxed. It felt good to remember her name. It hadn't been right to forget. Then a startling thought came to Jareth, moments before he drifted back to sleep. Wasn't she dead?

Her name remained in his thoughts as he fell into a deep sleep.

**Toby snapped his** eyes open wide. A scream remained poised on the tip of his tongue for a moment, but he managed to supress it. He glanced around himself with frightful eyes. No one was in the room. He let out a long sigh and quickly climbed out of the bed.

He had known that he had made a big mistake the second all the light dropped from Sarah's room. He could vaguely remember some tall man with blonde hair grab his arm and pull him through the mirror. The rest of his memories were hidden beneath a haze. Toby scratched his head thoughtfully, but still couldn't recall the rest of his lost memory. It was just as well. It had probably been a terrifying experience.

Toby decided to make the best of his situation. After all, he had been brought to the magical Underground by the Goblin King. He would have many stories to tell his friends when he returned home. Toby couldn't wait to see their shocked faces. However, they had a tendency to stay away from Toby. They probably wouldn't even believe him anyway.

"I wonder where he is?" Toby asked.

He walked slowly towards the door and touched the doorknob tentatively. Toby pressed one small ear to the wooden surface and listened closely for any sounds. However, there was only silence beyond the door. It was strange. Toby had remembered the stories very well. There had always been great commotion and excitement in the castle. He could also remember that there were masses of goblins! Toby couldn't wait to see one of the funny creatures.

Toby pushed at the door, but it was securely locked. He pushed again and felt the old bolt strain against the pressure. It would break soon, Toby was sure of it. Toby knocked it one more time and heard the snap as the lock fell from the door. He smiled at himself for breaking out of the room. He was strong after all. Toby repressed an urge to saunter around. There were more important things to do than boast to an empty room.

He flung open the door and glanced around the hallway. His excitement died away instantly. The hall was bare. There wasn't a single goblin outside his room either. It was all very depressing. Toby wondered if the book had maybe just misrepresented the castle. Perhaps all the goblins lived in the city.

Toby ran to a nearby window and looked anxiously towards the city. The only thing to greet him was more disappointment. The grounds were empty. There was no smoke coming from the chimneys on the ramshackle houses. There wasn't even an animal crawling around through the city. He looked out as far as he could see, but the only thing to greet him was the Labyrinth.

"I'm getting ripped off," Toby moaned.

He drudged down the hallways. There was nothing better to do. Even his host had disappeared. Jareth was nowhere to be seen. He thought that it was rude for the Goblin King to just go away after he had decided to take Toby with him.

Toby stopped outside an open glass and crystal door. By the look of it, something very bad had happened. The glass was nearly shattered in the center of the door and there was a dark streak of blood on the other side. Toby realized, in horror, that there was blood against the wall, further down the hall. Someone had been injured and it didn't look like they had been doing so well, either.

Toby took in a deep gulp of air and reminded himself that he was a brave prince. He stepped through the awaiting door and glanced around. There was glass scattered all across the ground and a small pool of blood beneath a once-lovely chair. The chair was stained as well. Toby's feet crunched over the glass as he walked further into the room. It had been an utterly amazing room. It was surrounded by a magic feel and scent, like Sarah's room only stronger.

Toby looked over to the crystal shelves and the ancient books that lined the far wall. He trotted over to them and pulled one after another from the shelf. Perhaps his book was among them. Once every book was on the ground Toby sat near them and opened one carefully. It felt old and brittle. He was worried about the pages turning into dust from the touch of his hands. However, the paper was surprisingly strong.

"Oh, this is boring!" Toby exclaimed.

He snapped a book shut. There had only been long and difficult words in the books. He would take a whole hour to complete one page and only understand a small part of it. Toby looked at the books and glanced back towards the shelves. He let out a sigh and decided to put them away later. He had other things to inspect.

Toby carefully made his way over the broken glass once again. He looked around the room as he walked out. The rest was fairly plain. He stepped over the blood, afraid of getting one single drop on himself. His mother had warned him to never get near anyone else's blood. It was bad!

Toby's gaze fell on a canvas that lay in the corner of the room. His attention was roused by the mysterious thing. He walked over to it with less caution. The glass hadn't managed to spray as much in the corner.

He touched the wooden frame. It was a painting. Toby could tell by the type of paper that was used. His mother simply adored painting. She had once decided to paint a picture of Toby. It had been a bad mistake. Toby was a firm believer that when asked to stand still, anyone would get the positively worst itch ever. She finally managed to get the outline of him done, but still needed to fill in the rest of his body. That was when his bladder had decided to add its needs as well. He squirmed and squeezed his legs, but it didn't work. His mother got to finish her painting and clean up a nice new wet spot. Toby never posed for another painting.

He turned the mural over and gasped. It was the most beautiful painting he had ever seen. It looked totally intricate and perfect. Whomever had done it was a truly magnificent artist. However, the details and fine conception of the model was not what caught Toby's eye. It was the model herself. She had long brown hair curled and cascading around her shoulders. Her deep brown eyes gazed out at him with determination. She wore a lovely gown and looked just like a princess. However, she wasn't. The woman in the painting was Sarah.

"What's Sarah doing in the Goblin King's castle?"


	14. High into the Trees

Chapter Fourteen: High Into the Trees

Sarah couldn't dare to look over her shoulder. One glance back could mean the difference between life and death. Her lungs were desperately attempting to fill themselves with life giving oxygen that she struggled to gasp into her paralyzed throat. Her legs felt weak and as if they could collapse beneath her at each stride. However, she couldn't think about her physical discomforts. The thing chasing them was slowly drawing closer. Sarah could hear its lumbering footsteps and its harsh breath.

Kyper was far ahead of her. It was easy for him to outrun the monster, but Sarah was a different story. However, Kyper would not abandon her. He could have been totally safe, but instead, every few minutes he waited for her, shaking in terror. Sarah wished that she could tell the little furrygatherer to leave and save himself. She was sure that she would be able to eventually get away just by using her cunning abilities.

"I'm going to get eaten. That is not a very pleasant prospect. Perhaps, I should have let Jareth turn me into stone," Sarah thought to herself.

Her mind flashed rapidly from one thing to another. Her disjointed thoughts only brought more fatigue to her weakening body. The worst thing was that the creature was not slowing. In fact, it appeared to be increasing its speed.

"Okay, Jareth. If you really want me to complete this quest then I suggest that you send a little bit of help, **NOW**!" Sarah begged silently

There was no voice to answer her, no white owl and certainly no help. Kyper stopped again and looked back at her. He urged her to speed up, but it was useless. Her legs had turned to putty and her next step found no support. Sarah collapsed to the ground and curled into a crumpled heap. Her breathing burned through her lungs and the sound of her heart was pounding in her ears.

A large shadow loomed over Sarah. She could hear the heavy breathing of her attacker. A foul scent accompanied it. Sarah gagged and then only succeeded in choking herself. She rolled on her stomach and tried to crawl away as the coughing fit ravaged her body.

The creature batted at her leg with powerful claws. She grimaced in pain as one of the talons cut a deep groove into her tender calf. Scarlet blood spread from the injury and stained her jeans a bright red. Sarah pulled herself a bit further away from the creature, hoping that it would decide that she wasn't worth its time. The predator's appetite would probably not be satiated by devouring Sarah.

"Sarah!" Kyper cried as he charged towards her.

She looked at the tiny animal in shock. Why was he returning to the danger? She was doomed to die at this stinky creature's jaws. However, Kyper was obviously not ready to let her go. He leapt over her with surprising grace and straight towards the beast looming above her.

There was an audible moan from the large creature. Kyper landed on the ground a few feet from her and quickly got to his feet. He looked at Sarah and urged her to run for safety. The next instant Kyper rushed away, with the beast close behind him. He was drawing the danger away from Sarah.

The thing was huge. It had been at least nine feet tall and massive. It was larger than even Ludo. Its coat was a dingy brown color that nearly blended in with the trunks of the trees. His large jaws rose in ivory tusks that had been stained red with the blood from past meals. Sarah grimaced at the thought. He had two beady red eyes that looked like evil incarnate. So Sarah realized that there was no feeling in the creature. It just loved to kill. That thought brought renewed strength to Sarah and she managed to make her way to her feet.

"Damnit!" She said through clenched teeth.

Horrible pain surged up her injured leg and only made walking more difficult. Sarah hobbled towards a nearby tree and wrapped her arms around it for support. Her leg throbbed and felt disjointed from her entire body. It was unbearable pain. Sarah slid back down to a sitting position and wrapped her hands about the wound to slow the bleeding.

Kyper burst back into view. He was breathing heavily for once. He noticed Sarah and a look of shock covered his face. Why was she still in the open? The beast would shortly be there to kill both of them. Kyper glanced behind himself and noticed the thing barging through the trees. It would reach Sarah shortly.

Kyper skidded to a halt at her side and wrapped his furry arms around her arm. There was no time to lose. They had to run now. Sarah looked at him and pulled her arm from his grasp. Kyper didn't understand what was wrong. She knew that the beast was deadly. Why didn't she want to try to run while they still had time?

"I can't, Kyper. Look," Sarah motioned towards her leg.

The bleeding had eased up slightly, but the stain was still spreading outwards on her pants. Kyper was shocked. He looked from the injury to her face and back again. There was nothing he could do and he knew that he couldn't leave her to be eaten.

"I'll protect you," Kyper stated bravely.

Sarah pushed him away from herself. She wouldn't let the sweet furrygatherer die because she couldn't try to save herself. He needed to get home. He had a family and friends that were probably worried about him. That was when Sarah remembered her quest. She couldn't just sit there and die. Kyper would be destroyed if she allowed the magic to fade away. Sarah took a long breath. There was only one thing to do, run.

"I'm coming, Kyper," Sarah stated as she gathered up all of the strength that was left in her body.

She gripped the tree and made her way to her feet. The pain very nearly made her sick, but she managed to regain control. It wasn't the worst pain she had ever had. She had broken her arm once. The agony had been unbearable and she had made it through that. She would just have to grin and bear it.

Kyper looked at her anxiously. She could only hobble after him. It wasn't fast enough. The creature had broken through closer trees and Kyper was beginning to see the first flashes of the animal's fur. He had gotten closer faster than Kyper had expected. They didn't have any time left.

"Please hurry," Kyper moaned.

Sarah struggled to go faster. She put her weight on her injured leg and tried to ignore the pain. She could hear the beast as well as Kyper. There would have to be some shelter close by. That would be her only hope.

Kyper bounded ahead of her as the creature broke into view. It snarled and slashed at Sarah once again. Sarah dodged the deadly claws by bare inches. She could feel the beast's hot breath against her neck.

"Please, please," Sarah muttered to herself as she bent beneath a branch.

Sarah pulled the branch along with herself and then let it go. It smacked the beast with a horrible thud. It moaned again and then let out a terrifying cry of anger. Sarah moaned to herself. She had only succeeded in making the beast more infuriated. It was her luck.

"Sarah come...," Kyper wasn't able to finish his sentence.

They both stepped into the trap at the same moment. The ground fell away from them and something snapped them up. Sarah was jerked violently into the air and slammed against Kyper. He moaned loudly as the trap pulled taut and they continued to raise into the air.

Sarah glanced down at the beast who was watching his meal fly into the air. The rope net dug into her skin and left horrid little burns. She tried to move, but only managed to press against Kyper a little more roughly. He groaned and pushed Sarah away from him with his tiny hooves. She moved again.

The net came to a halt with a horrible jerk. They both were sent to the top of the trap and then landed back in the bottom. Sarah squirmed to get herself off Kyper, and then leaned against the side. She let out a long and drawn-out sigh. Nothing had been going right since the beginning of the journey. Was that a bad omen?

Kyper suddenly broke into hysterical laughter. Sarah turned to him, shocked at his outburst. There was nothing funny about their situation, unless he was thinking about the hungry beast many feet below them. Sarah swallowed her fears of the height and convinced herself not to look down.

"Please tell me what you find so funny, Kyper. I need something to lift my spirits after this eventful morning," Sarah begged.

Kyper pointed to his left by sticking his leg through the knitted rope. Sarah's gaze followed his direction. She was shocked to see a series of planks and walkways leading to the net in which they had been trapped. Someone lived up here. That was utterly shocking to Sarah. Who would want to live at a top of a tree, other than birds, of course.

Sarah peered further into the trees and noticed houses that had been fashioned from the very limbs and trunks. They looked well made and sturdy, but also too small for Sarah to fit inside. Her hopes of having a stay in a nice bed were instantly extinguished.

"This is a nice place, Kyper. However, I certainly hope that whoever lives here is friendly. I don't think I can face yet another problem. I have had a truly great morning so far," Sarah replied sarcastically.

"No, these people are nice. Don't you see? This is my home!" Kyper exclaimed excitedly.

Sarah's face instantly brightened into a smile. They had reached Kyper's home after all. The furrygatherer did know his way to his people. She only hoped that her weight wouldn't cause the whole town to fall down. Sarah looked nervously to the branch the net had been tied to. She was relieved that it was a nice strong one and not bending from the extra strain she had put on it.

"Well, where are they?" Sarah asked.

She was usually a very patient person, but she had faced too much too soon. She only wanted to get out of the trap and clean her wound and rest. Sarah checked her bag to be sure that it hadn't fallen when she was snapped into the net. It was pure luck that it had remained. So, perhaps one good thing had happened that morning.

Kyper glanced around the area, carefully peering through the thick blanket of leaves. He perked his ear up and his face instantly broke into a large smile. He looked back at Sarah. He was not able to move anymore, for his body was pressed against the net too harshly.

"They're coming," Kyper exclaimed happily.

Two larger furrgatherers came into view. They wore helmets and carried staffs, just like Didymus. Sarah guessed that they were the guards who were supposed to watch the nets. They must have wandered off for a break. They looked at Sarah carefully and then, noticing Kyper, rushed towards them.

"Kyper! Where have you been and who have you brought with you? We are terribly sorry for making you wait in this horrid small net. It can get quite uncomfortable after a while. Anyway, let us get you both down," one of the two said.

"Thank you very much. I'm Sarah. Kyper found me in the forest. He told me that you guys had a crystal. You see I was..." Sarah was cut off by one of the guards' gasp.

"You are the one that has been sent to heal the magical orbs! I must tell Leader as soon as possible. He'll be so excited to learn that you have come at long last. He had started to fear that you wouldn't be here in time," he said.

The other guard took a long hooked pole away from a branch and reached out for the net. It snared after the second attempt and he pulled the trap carefully over solid ground. He then glanced to the other guard, who was still amazed over Sarah's arrival.

"Tover, quick! Untie the top and get our guest and Kyper out!" the first guard demanded.

Tover leapt to the top of the net and unfastened the knot with one pull of a rope. The net fell around Sarah and Kyper. They tumbled to the sturdy walkway beneath them. Sarah cringed from the pain that shot up her injured leg. Luckily, it had ceased bleeding. The guards looked her over carefully. They tisked over the blood and helped her to her feet.

They were about five feet tall. She was glad that she wouldn't have to bend down to speak to the rest of the furrygatherers. Kyper trotted up beside her and looked up, smiling. Sarah returned the smile. It was good to feel safe and be among friends.

"Come on, Leader will be waiting!" Kyper exclaimed.

"Halt young Kyper, she has been hurt. Leader can wait for her to get her wound fixed first. We will bring you to him tonight. Until then, Kyper will show you to old Ravenclove. He will heal you," Trover remarked as he and the other guard walked away.

"Come on," Kyper sounded quite depressed.

She marveled over the community that had been built into the very trees. There were homes upon homes standing beside each other. Running between the two rows was the walkway. Sarah was amazed over the vast expanses of leaves that served as a garden for fruit. There was a large building at the end of the walkway that looked big enough to easily accommodate Sarah. In fact, most of the houses looked large enough, if she squeezed in.

Kyper led her to a building. The inside was lit by several torches and gave the structure a nice and friendly appearance. Sarah ducked inside and was instantly amazed that she was able to stand quite easily. However, it did not stretch very far. The building only appeared to be the size of a treehouse.

An elderly furrygatherer walked up to Sarah and instantly bowed before her. She looked to Kyper nervously, he could only shrug. She did not expect to get that sort of welcome from the animals. She knew that the quest was important, but Sarah was just another normal girl. Well, mostly normal.

"I can't believe that you have come," the furrgatherer stated.

"I'm glad. Listen, do you think you could possibly get up? I feel a little stupid having someone bow before me. Are you Ravenclove?" Sarah asked.

The old creature got to his feet and winced at a pain in his arthritic back. He rubbed it with one hoof and looked at Sarah. He offered his chipped and stained hoof to her and she shook it, feeling a bit strange that he did not have a hand to accompany hers.

"Yes, I'm the so-called 'healer' of this place. Not much healing I can do with the crystal dying. You see, that orb is the reason our community survives while the rest of the forest is turning to wretched stone. I didn't think anyone would come, not to some insignificant creatures like us. Darn king hasn't even given us a second thought," Ravenclove complained.

He reached down to Sarah's wound and tore her pants slightly. Ravenclove poked around it a few times and then hustled over to the many cabinets that lined the walls. He pulled a jar from one of them and rushed back to Sarah. She eyed the contents suspiciously, worried that they would sting.

"No need to fret. This is an herb that will help it heal fast," Ravenclove glanced at Sarah and offered a strange, knowing smile.

"Yeah, I forgot that you read thoughts. Listen, do you know where this crystal is? I really need to be on my way," Sarah explained.

Ravenclove dabbed the ointment over her wound and then walked back to the cabinet. He closed the door and then looked at Sarah with his hooves on his furry hips. He looked stern. Sarah was worried that she had offended him by wanting to rush, but she didn't have the time to stay with them a whole day.

"I suggest that you speak to Leader before you leave. He knows more about the crystals than the dreadful Goblin King himself," Ravenclove said.

A moment of anger stole through Sarah. The thought of Jareth reminded her that Toby was still a prisoner. She then thought of her dear friends in the dungeon and wondered if they had yet to turn to stone. It frightened her. What if they could never turn back again? Sarah drew herself out of her thoughts and found Ravenclove looking at her with concern.

"Do you think you could stop reading my mind?" Sarah asked with a sigh.

Ravenclove turned from her immediately. He looked slightly upset with himself for prying into her business. Sarah didn't mean to be sharp, but she had had enough mind reading for the day as well.

"Sorry, habit. I know that Leader can help you," Ravenclove explained.

Sarah thought about it for a while and then finally shrugged. What harm could one day do? If this 'Leader' knew where there were more crystals, then it was worth it. He might even be able to translate the inscription on the medallion. Sarah fingered it through her shirt. The necklace still felt strangely warm. She would have to start listening to it after she had left the furrygatherers' community.

"Okay, I'll stay for one night. I really have to be going. Do you think that Leader will know about the other crystals?" Sarah asked anxiously.

Ravenclove could only shrug. He then turned and went back to sorting through the hundreds of jars that laid scattered upon the wooden floor. Sarah watched him for a short time and then ducked out. Kyper had disappeared suddenly. She suspected that he had gone to see his family.

"Sarah!" Trover called.

He stood up from his sitting position and rushed over to her. He had probably been assigned to watch her. Trover stopped beside her and then gently turned her to follow him. Sarah adjusted her pack and then hurried after her escort. He stopped outside another building and gestured for her to enter.

"Thank you," Sarah remarked.

"It is no problem what-so-ever. I am glad that you have come to save us from demise. You will find a nice bed in there to rest. There are fresh clothes inside that have been made by Leader. He knew that you would be here soon. I will send Kyper to retrieve you when dinner is ready," Tover said as he headed the other way down the walkway.

Sarah ducked inside the house and immediately sat on the bed. It was more like a mattress upon the ground, but anything was better than the hard forest floor. She had much traveling ahead of her and a good rest was a great treasure. She laid back and threw her pack to the other side of the room.

Sarah drifted off to sleep shortly later. Her necklace shifted gently against her chest and warmed. It was not uncomfortable, but Sarah felt the warmth in her dreams. She dreamt that she had found the orbs and was returning to the castle. The Underground had turned to a stone land and even the animals were statues lining the way to the castle. She walked through the open stone doors and stood before Jareth with the crystals. However, he was only able to look at her with a defeated expression. Toby was gone, she could see that. Then the necklace began to glow and a warm voice began to sing the poem that Jareth had given her.

"_The magic that love has found... the magic that love has found..,"_ the voice lingered on the last line.

The necklace warmed her skin. She realized that someone was standing near her. It was another woman. Sarah turned to face her, but it was only a mirror. Sarah looked at her own reflection. Then ,before her eyes, the image changed to reveal a woman with long blonde hair. The woman reached through the mirror and grabbed the necklace.

"_Listen!"_ she demanded.

Then the dream faded away to leave Sarah's sleep peaceful.


	15. Celebration of Hope

Chapter Fifteen, part 1: Celebration of Hope

The room was lit entirely by candles of every size imaginable. Their scents of berries and smoke drifted throughout the building. A cool orange glow surrounded the single creature who sat in the midst of the burning candles. He was not watching the flames dance nor the smoke waft into the air. He was concentrating on something entirely different. If one should have walked in one would have merely thought that he had been staring at the far wall. That, of course, was not true. He was looking through the wall and past many other buildings. His knowing gaze was directed to their guest who laid sleeping in an extra house that had been fashioned to fit her needs. He watched her in his mind's eye as she slept and dreamed. Her dreams were his as he shared her thoughts. She would never know that he had watched her dreams, for in sleep they never notice.

Leader sat there, staring through the wooden wall and ignoring the smoke that began to make his senses sharpen. Her dreams were confusing and he could tell that she was at a loss about what to do. He could feel a war going on within her. She had been hurt by someone who, despite her better judgment, she very nearly loved in some dark abandoned area of her soul. The dream showed her confusion, but it also revealed something else that even Leader could not explain. There was another woman in the dream who was not a manifestation of Sarah's mind. This woman was real, but she could come to the subconscious minds as they were put to work in sleep. It was strange. This woman was trying to tell his guest something, but Sarah simply didn't understand. Of course, neither did Leader.

His attention was roused by the necklace that Sarah wore about her neck. It seemed to strike a memory from long ago. Perhaps she would allow him to take a look at the strange medallion when they talked later. He would greatly like to see what was written on the one side. Maybe that would be the key to solving her problems.

Leader broke the connection reluctantly. She needed her sleep to regain strength that had been used up in the escape from the beast below. He took a bit of golden powder from his bag that was tied to an old and worn belt. Leader tossed the powder in the dancing flame of a nearby candle and watched as the fire erupted into a mass of colors. They spit into the air and very nearly touched the roof. The fire died back down, but remained in its rainbow colors.

"Take these dreams from her mind," Leader remarked as he stared into the crystal orb.

The orb let out a sickly purple glow and then returned to its normal appearance. He was not sure if the spell had worked. The magic was dying quickly and most of Leader's spells no longer worked. Very soon the disease that was ravaging through the rest of the Underground would reach them as well. Then, they would only be able to watch as their families and homes turned to cold, unfeeling stone. Leader shivered at the thought and blew the mulit-colored flame out.

He extinguished all but two of the candles and then settled his old body back on the ground. Leader closed his eyes and allowed himself to dwell on Sarah's problems a bit longer. The poem that had been sung struck him. The strange riddle would not leave his mind.

"Has she yet to discover the true meaning behind that piece of poetry? If only the ancient books were not locked behind the castle doors," Leader moaned.

The poem began as a sort of history of the Underground. He knew that. He had been taught by one of the great wise elves many years ago. That was when the elves still held the ancient books. That was before the great and mighty Goblin King had decided to prove his dominance and destroy the elves' lives. He hadn't killed them, simply ruined their homes and turned them into wandering nomads for eternity. The ancient books had been given to Jareth by the elves, though somewhat reluctantly. However, they had had no choice.

"Our world sounds as if it is doomed," Leader remarked as he drew himself out of his thoughts.

There was only hope in the woman. Her courage and intelligence where strong. She had beaten the Goblin King six years ago by reaching the castle and bringing her baby brother home. She had confronted Jareth and defied him numerous times. However, he had a way to trap her with his cunning mind. She was older and so she had become more careful about Jareth's craftiness. Nonetheless, the Goblin King had been careful and had taken her friends to ensure her cooperation. It was quite an intelligent, if not cruel, thing to do.

They were matched better than either one of them would admit. Leader wondered if that was the reason they both had the strange emotions. Perhaps, perhaps not. He shrugged and then slowly made his way to his feet. There was still much to do before he spoke to her. He was being lazy by not helping.

"I am too old," Leader complained as his joints popped.

He was not sure of his age. He only knew that the Goblin King had still been a relatively new and young man when Leader began his schooling. He could even remember the sweet woman who had come to the land shortly later. She had filled the Underground with music and happiness. However, the land was not meant to be joyful. The fates had seen to that by bringing an evil king to rule over them when the world had first been created.

The history of the Underground was bathed in mystery. There were very few left who knew the true story. There were stories told by hundreds of different creatures, most of them entirely outrageous. Leader himself only remembered a small amount of the history in the ancient books. He recalled a story about the Overseer and Destroyer, his evil brother, but that was where his memory faded away. As he had mentioned earlier, he was very old and his memory certainly was not what it used to be.

He grabbed his knotted old cane and limped from his house, blowing out the remaining two candles as he left. The sun was low in the sky. He had not realized how time had escaped him that afternoon. Leader had only thought that he had stayed inside for an hour or so, but in reality, he had remained pondering for much longer.

"Leader!" a small voice called from behind him.

Leader turned around and noticed Kyper rushing to greet him. He was proud of the young furrygatherer. The child had brought Sarah to their home. He had protected Sarah from the beast and probably helped her escape. Kyper deserved an award, but Leader knew that he had already received one. Kyper knew that everyone was proud of him, and that was all the recognition he needed.

"Kyper. Our little hero has come to grace me with his presence," Leader spoke with a broad smile.

Kyper snickered a little. He was positively beaming with excitement about the ceremonies that would be held at dinner. Kyper was lucky that he was being allowed to stay up for the celebration. Most of the time he went to bed shortly after dinner. After all, it was a special occasion. Everyone would be up and watching Sarah with anticipation. Leader smiled again.

"I'm on my way to waken Sarah. She's really excited to speak to you, Leader," Kyper remarked as he headed down the street.

"Hurry along then. She wouldn't want to be late for dinner. Oh, and Kyper, invite her to wear the clothes I provided for her. They should fit," Leader called to the young child.

Kyper turned and nodded in response. He rushed the rest of the way down the wooden path. Leader watched as he halted outside of Sarah's building and carefully made his way inside. Leader chuckled at the rambunctious Kyper. He had so much energy and so much life ahead of him. A twinge of sadness struck Leader. Kyper would have had a long life if the crystals survived. At the rate the magic was dying the whole world would be dead in the matter of weeks.

Sarah would fix it. A kind of certainty came to Leader. He would just have to believe that she could do it. Too much worry was not good for him. After all, he had trusted in himself when he had dreamt that she would come, and she was most certainly here.

"To be young," Leader remarked as he made his way down the path.

Sarah awakened to a cold hoof pushing into her arm. She blinked open her eyes and gazed over to Kyper. There was no sense of worry over the strange building. The moment she awakened she remembered the furrygetherers had invited her to stay and she had fallen asleep in one of the homes. Kyper stood beside her watching her carefully.

"Hi Kyper," Sarah replied, beaming.

Kyper returned the smile. He was glad that she had had a good rest. Sarah had looked really sick after the whole experience with the beast and the net. She had needed the sleep in a comfortable bed. She would probably also enjoy the dinner that was to be served shortly. Kyper licked his chops at the idea of all the wonderful food.

"I came to get you for dinner," Kyper responded.

Sarah was shocked. She had slept through the whole afternoon. She supposed that her body had needed it. Sarah stretched and was relieved that her aches and pains had vanished in her sleep. Even her injury felt better, almost as if it had miraculously healed in a few hours. It was absurd, but that was the way it felt.

Sarah looked at her leg and realized that her first thought had been right. The wound was healed and only a slight scar was left running down the side of her calf. Sarah stood up and stretched one more time. She felt renewed and rejuvenated. She was glad that she had decided to stay with the furrygatherers for one night.

"Leader wanted you to wear some of the clothes he made for you. He said that they should fit. Personally, I think that your pants need to be thrown away," Kyper remarked in a whisper.

Sarah giggled at his blunt statement and looked at her clothes. They had faced a lot the past few days. Her pants were stained with blood and sliced open at the calf. They had been covered in mud and dirt as well. Her once white shirt was now a dingy tan color with splotches of dark brown.

"I guess I could use a change of clothes after all," Sarah stated.

She looked down at Kyper. He only looked back at her with an innocent expression. Sarah motioned for him to leave, and Kyper hurriedly rushed from the room. He swung a curtain of leaves in front of the door to allow Sarah some privacy. She smiled at the young creature. He was just so sweet.

Sarah lifted the clothes from the ground and unfolded them. She was left with a lovely woolen shirt that had been lovingly crafted from some peculiar Underground animal that bore the likeness to a sheep. Sarah held the soft material to her face. She was glad to have something so warm. It would come in handy on the strangely cold nights.

Leader had also provided her with a simple gray dress. She looked it over and then glanced at her own dirty clothes. Traveling in a dress wouldn't be easy, but it would be much better than wearing her horribly tattered pants and blouse.

Sarah changed quickly, deciding to leave the sweater in the room for the night. It had grown warm again and Sarah's spirits were lifted. The night felt pleasant and didn't have the strange sadness that she had felt in the forest.

The dress was loose fitting, but it was clean and the material felt nice against her skin. The long sleeves flared slightly at the cuff, but other than that it was mostly plain. She tied a piece of twin about the waist and then ducked out the door to find Kyper.

"Nice?" Kyper asked from behind her.

Sarah turned and noticed the furrygatherer sitting on the wooden walkway. He had several golden balls, that almost looked like marbles, around him. He must have been playing a game when she had been changing. Kyper clumsily scooped up the balls into a bag, considering he had to do it with hooves. He looked at Sarah with a sigh.

"Need some help?" she asked.

Kyper nodded reluctantly. He hated not being able to handle simple things, but his hooves certainly didn't provide much help. He had always wondered what it would be like to have hands like the elves and like Sarah. They would prove very useful in the long run. Most of the adults learned to simply use their hooves as hands. Kyper doubted if he ever would.

Sarah picked the bag up and dropped it into a deep pocket stitched into her dress. The balls shifted around and clanged together in a musical tone. Sarah listened to the ringing note from the balls. Perhaps, it wasn't a game. Maybe it was an instrument. They did make a very clear and eerily beautifully sound.

Kyper rose from his feet and looked disgustingly at his hooves. He then placed them behind his back and walked to Sarah's side. He would just have to live with his shortcomings. After all, there was nothing that he could do to change the way he had been born.

"So where is this dinner being held, Kyper?" Sarah asked.

Kyper pointed down to the forest floor. Sarah cringed a little at the thought of traveling back to where the beast had nearly killed her, but she would have to return there in the morning anyway. She had to continue with her quest eventually. Besides, the beast would probably be gone by then.

Kyper stopped at a strange box contraption that was hung from a large limb. It had a system of levies and pulleys attached. Sarah looked it over and decided that this was probably the normal way to come into the furrygatherer community. She and Kyper had just accidentally stumbled across a trap.

"Come on, everyone is waiting and excited to meet you. I've told everyone about what happened!" he exclaimed as he hopped into the box.

Sarah stepped in and winced at the sound of the rope rubbing against the bark of the limb. Once again she wondered if her weight would cause everything to fall down. After all, she was heavier than any of the furrygatherers. Sarah gasped as the box lurched downward and then evened out.

"Sorry. I'm just learning to operate this darn thing," Kyper said with a sheepish smile.

Sarah placed her hand over her heart and silently prayed that Kyper had had enough lessons to bring her safely to the ground. The box lurched again and Kyper struggled against one of the ropes. He tugged it violently and eased their decent. He leveled the box once again and then slowly allowed the rope to slip through his hooves.

Sarah turned away from him. He was frightening her too much with his struggles. She would just watch the leaves pass before them as they made their way to the ground. Sarah looked through the thick canopy and noticed the moon had just started to rise over the horizon. It gave her a sense of inner peace and she managed to calm herself down, despite the bumpy ride.

"Toby is probably watching the moon right now. How I wish that I could just see him to be sure that he's all right. Jareth had better take good care of him," Sarah thought.

There was no way to see Toby. She had tried to use the crystal, but it hadn't listened to her pleas. Sarah shook her head. She had been foolish if she had thought that the crystal would actually listen to her. She didn't have the magic that Jareth controlled. He used the crystals not her. Of course it wouldn't listen to her. Sarah scolded herself for tossing the gift away. She hadn't even remembered to retrieve it before she left with Kyper.

"Hold on," Kyper warned.

Sarah looked down and noticed that the ground was only a few feet away from them. However, it was rushing up at a surprising speed. Sarah glanced towards Kyper and noticed that he had pretty much lost control. She lunged for the rope and stopped the box a few inches from the forest floor. Sarah let out a long breath and blew a straggling piece of her hair away from her eyes.

"You should have asked for help," Sarah scolded.

Kyper turned his gaze to the ground and scraped his hoof against the wooden floor of the box. Sarah lowered them the rest of the way and then joyfully stepped on to the solid ground. She suppressed an urge to kiss the dirt, but decided that she would only look foolish in front of her friend.

Sarah glanced over her shoulder and noticed that Kyper had remained in the box. She heard a slight snuffling and realized that he was crying. She had been too abrupt with him. Sarah had to remind herself that Kyper was only a child. Children sometimes mess up. She peered into the box and tapped Kyper on the back.

"Hey buddy, I'm sorry if I sounded mad. I was just scared. I'm not used to staying at the top of trees and being around heights. Do you understand? I'm not mad at you, Kyper," Sarah explained in a gentle voice.

Kyper raised his head and looked at Sarah with teary eyes. His fur had been matted down with wetness around his cheeks. Kyper sniffled a few more times and then managed a smile.

"Y-you aren't mad?" he asked carefully.

Sarah shook her head and helped Kyper from the box. She hugged him tightly and gave him a kiss on one of his wet cheeks. Kyper turned his face away from her in embarrassment. He had never been kissed before.

"I could never stay mad at you. You're my friend, Kyper," Sarah explained.

Kyper smiled shyly. He then looked around the forest for signs of the dinner. There was a warm orange glow in the clearing. They had already started the fire. Soon dinner would be served and then the real party would begin. There would be singing and dancing and stories. Kyper giggled excitedly and quickened his pace.

"This is going to be the most fun you've ever had!" Kyper exclaimed.

They walked into the clearing and the sounds of happy voices instantly stopped. Everyone turned to face Sarah and Kyper. From the center of the group walked an old furrygatherer. He used a cane to support himself, but Sarah was fairly sure that he was nowhere near the end of his life. The elderly creature stepped towards Sarah and looked up into her eyes. She could see his intelligence flash in his black eyes. This was definitely Leader.

"Sarah, you have finally arrived," he stated.

Sarah curtsied before him. It felt wrong not to show some sort of respect towards Leader. He was all Kyper had talked about for the most part of their travels. She felt as if she already knew the old furrygatherer. Sarah raised herself back up and was shocked to see Leader bowing before her. Sarah blushed slightly at this wise old animal genuflecting before her.

"I am very happy that you all welcomed me into your lives. And I am glad to finally meet you, Leader," Sarah said with a smile.

Leader raised himself back to his feet with aid from his cane. He then looked to Sarah with a knowing gleam in his eyes. Sarah wondered what he knew about her. After all, it was Leader who had taught the rest of the furrygatherers to read minds. She tried to stop her endlessly running mind, but to no avail.

"Don't worry, Sarah. We have all granted you a favor by not reading your thoughts. Kyper told us about your privacy," he spoke gently so that she would only hear.

"Thank you," Sarah replied in the same quiet tone.

"Let the celebration begin!" Leader called as he raised one hand over his head.

A unified exclamation of joy arose from the crowd of animals. Their savior had arrived and she would now share their dinner. It was truly a night of happiness and ceremony. None of them would think about the failing magic, not until Leader would speak to Sarah. However, that was later and now all they had was joy in the hope that Sarah was finally back.

The meal consisted of every food imaginable. Course upon course of food was served to the awaiting animals and Sarah. There was a cool juice that tasted different than anything Sarah had ever drank before. It was sweet and strangely icy, even though there really was no way to keep things that cool in the forest.

There were fantastic fruits that Sarah had never seen before, covering the center of the table in an elaborate display. A dozen delicate birds that had been grilled to perfection and adorned with garnish sat around the pyramid of fruits, waiting for someone to finish the succulent meat. Hundreds of pies and other desserts were passed about. Sarah managed to eat some, even though she felt as if she would burst from another bite. The food flowed like water and there seemed to be an endless supply. Even when dessert had been finished, breads were passed about. They were warm and coated in a butter-like substance that was a bit to tangy to be margarine. Sarah couldn't manage to take another bite and still the furrygetherers talked and ate, laughed and ate, joked and ate. They seemed to have a bottomless pit for a stomach. Even Kyper, who was so much smaller than Sarah, continued eating long after she had given up and pushed her plate, (still heaped with food), away from herself. It was obvious, the furrygatherers loved food! Perhaps they loved it a bit too much. She wondered what would happen after this dinner. Would they still have enough food left?

Leader glanced over at Sarah. He offered her a smile and then continued to chew on the bird leg that was clutched between his two chipped hooves. Sarah watched them with slight disgust. She had eaten far too much and was beginning to feel a little sick from the sight of all the food. The furrgatherers paid no attention to her, they simply focused on the food.

It seemed like hours had passed before the last creature scooted away from his plate and patted his round stomach. Sarah had started to feel a little more comfortable because some of her food had begun to digest. She was able to sit easier and gaze into the dancing flames of the fire that rose high into the dark sky.

A single furrygatherer made his way to his feet and walked before the fire. He took a small bag from his belt and threw a fine powder into the flames. It burst into a brilliant array of colors and rainbow sparks flew through the air. Several of them landed only inches from Sarah. She backed up, but found Leader at her side holding her in her spot. Sarah looked nervously to the fire and the sparks that were still billowing forth. They could very easily burn her or even cause a fire.

"There is nothing to fear. Our magic is not intended to harm. The sparks will not reach you nor the trees lining this clearing. Watch closely, Sarah. This is our storyteller," Leader stated.

Sarah turned her attention back to the furrygatherer at the front of the group. He refastened the bag to his belt and gazed into each of the crowds faces. He remained looking at Sarah for a long time. His eyes danced with the colors from the flame. He then turned from her and closed his eyes, as if he were contemplating something.

"I have a story to tell you about a gift given to our king and his evil nature. This is a story filled with ignored love and unending sadness that will cause tears to be shed for all time. I bring this tale to you tonight as it was told to me by my father, who learned it from his father and so on... This tale was originally found in the ancient book, bound in gold..." he paused dramatically.

"We can only guess at how the Underground was created, for that book was lost to us. However, we know that the great Overseer created this land out of magic and placed thirteen crystals about the land. He gave us an cruel king and then attempted to send someone to rid the evil from the king's heart...a companion..."


	16. A Love Undying

Chapter Fifteen, part 2: A Love Undying

Our dear King, Jareth, was kindly bestowed upon us by the almighty creator, Overseer. No one knows why he decided that we should have an evil king, but there is no doubt that we most certainly did get stuck with exactly that. The Overseer made our world and then shortly later sent Jareth to rule over us. I don't think that even the ancient books tell from whence Jareth came. All that matters is that he was sent by the Overseer and is our king forever.

Jareth gladly took over the Underground, elated to have inherited so much power. As in most cases, the power corrupted him, but Jareth was already evil and so this certainly didn't improve matters. He ruled the land with an iron fist and demanded that everyone listen to him. This was when he was still a young ruler and not bored with life, as he is today. I must remind all of you that Jareth came to the Underground nearly three hundred years ago.

The Overseer watched the evil king in dismay. He didn't want the Underground to suffer so from Jareth's hands. He decided that he would try to fix the king's evil nature by offering him something pure and sweet. Surely, good would win over evil. With this thought in his mind the Overseer set out to make something that would drive the cruelty from Jareth's blackened soul.

He toiled over the idea for days and days. Each night the overseer would look over his land and moan about the new horrible things the king had done. However, he could not think of anything pure enough to destroy the evil of the king. He was back to where he had started. He had no idea what to do to help his precious world.

The Overseer turned to the human world. He loved watching them toil around, doing their jobs and errands. It took the sadness of the Underground away from his heavy heart. The humans were quite advanced already. They were developing so quickly, much faster than the Overseer would have ever guessed.

One day, after an endless night of straining to think of an answer for the Underground, the Overseer went to see the human world. He watched people milling about towns and farms. They were all endlessly working, as if they were in a hurry. However, the Overseer noticed something strange. He saw two younger humans holding hands and casually walking down a tree-lined path. They looked utterly happy.

"I must learn what this emotion is!" the Overseer exclaimed.

He watched the humans a lot more regularly after that. The Underground would have to wait until he had quenched his annoying curiosity. Perhaps, the strange emotion could help him think of the thing the Goblin King needed to lose his evil nature. The Overseer was pleased with the idea and turned his attention back to the humans.

They stared into each other's eyes and kissed lovingly. They spent hours together and when they were split apart, could not stop thinking of the other. The Overseer read the human's books to discover that they were utterly fascinated with the emotion. In fact, everyone was nearly required to experience it.

"Love?" the Overseer said to himself quizzically.

He left the humans with their 'love' to sort out what he was going to do for the Underground and Jareth. Love was the word his brother had used long ago to curse his poor world. Did the Overseer dare to put that dreadful word into the Underground and face the consequences? He remembered how evil the king was and how the land suffered. The Overseer sighed and decided to risk everything to the fates.

He took a piece of the moon in the sky and fashioned it into a woman who was delicate and beautiful in every way. She shone with pale radiance in the black night sky. Then the Overseer took the very ray from the sun and spun it into a fine mass of flowing golden tresses. He used the star dust to make her shimmering dress and the purest blue water was used in making her azure eyes. When she was done he looked at his handiwork skeptically and then nodded to himself. There was not a man alive who would not find this woman beautiful.

Lastly, the Overseer gave her a heart so pure that she would spread love wherever she stood. He granted her with grace and rhythm, so that she might dance throughout the world in happiness. Finally the Overseer gave her a voice to enchant the hardest of hearts, so that she might fill the Underground with a lovely, but mysterious, music.

After all this was done he breathed life into the beautiful woman and wrapped her in a cloak. The Overseer lifted her in his arms and then traveled to the Underground. He took the shape of a large bird and placed her carefully atop his back. She clutched his feathers tightly between her slender fingers and buried her head in his down.

The Overseer landed outside of the castle that was so cold and heartless. The lovely woman climbed off of his back and balanced herself on her new legs. She was like a baby in some ways, but would learn quickly, for the Overseer had granted her with a keen wit as well. She looked at the large bird with wide innocent eyes that shone like gems.

"Why have you dropped me here? This place is cold and cruel and I do not want to stay," she begged in her musical voice.

The Overseer shook his great head. There would be no arguing. Her fate had been decided. She was destined to stay in the Underground and serve as a companion for Jareth. The Overseer rose into the air and circled over her a few times. She looked at him with fear and silent begging to be taken away from the evil place.

"I wish you a good life Katriana," the Overseer called down.

He then left her there, outside the castle. She was alone and she certainly didn't want to enter the castle. That idea terrified her. So, Katriana ran into the forest. She ran until she was hidden deep within the tall trees and then fell into the cool grass. Her golden hair flowed around her and shimmered majestically in the young sunlight. Katriana peered through the bushes at everything, enjoying her surroundings entirely.

Katriana lived in the forest for three years. She loved roaming the Underground and visiting all the strange animals that lived there. She grew to know each tree and plant and every creature, beast or insect. Katriana was the joy of the Underground and spread harmony wherever she was. The whole land was happy and Jareth's evil could not harm the good mood.

Jareth watched his subjects shed their gloom and despair for happiness. He didn't understand what had happened. The goblins had even been affected by the peculiar emotion. Jareth decided that enough was enough and he set out to find the reason behind the drastic mood change everyone had undergone.

Jareth went to the elfin village to see if they knew what had happened in the Underground. They also were happy and smiling, even when Jareth stepped into their village. Their leader approached Jareth and bowed before him. Never had they been so willing to show respect. Perhaps the change had been a good one.

"Tell me what has overcome everyone," Jareth demanded.

"Why, your majesty, have you not heard the music that surrounds us at all times? Have you not smelled the lovely fragrance of roses and honeysuckle? Have you not seen the awe-striking beauty of the woman who enchants us all? I don't believe you are a stupid man, so you must have witnessed some of these things," the elf stated.

Jareth sneered at the elf and stalked out of the village. He had to find the woman who had caused the drastic change in the Underground. So, the next day Jareth set of to the forest to search for her.

Katriana had spent her day as usual, visiting everyone in the forest. That was when she saw Jareth moving amidst the trees. Katriana gazed into his deep blue eyes that burned with a relentless fire. She fell in love instantly and gave herself up to him.

Jareth took the lovely woman back to his castle, somewhat reluctantly. He was too busy to entertain anyone. However, she was very persistent about staying with him. Jareth decided that it wouldn't hurt, as long as she could take care of herself. Besides, he enjoyed her singing.

Katriana's love was entire. She would sing songs about her love to Jareth, but he never realized that it was he who she was in love with. If he didn't understand, then he simply ignored the sweet woman. She offered him everything and catered to his every whim in the hope of winning his love. However, Jareth was still very cruel and only wanted Katriana around to serve as more interesting company than the ignorant goblins.

One day Katriana gave Jareth a golden medallion strung on a fine chain. The medallion confessed her love to the Goblin King in the ancient language of the creator. Katriana waited anxiously to see if her love would realize the feelings she had towards him.

Jareth simply looked at the gift and tossed it to the floor. Katriana watched with tears in her gorgeous blue eyes. It felt as if her heart had been torn from her very body and slammed against the dirty stone ground. Jareth had held it in his hand for so long, and now he had crushed her. Katriana broke into tears that would never cease and ran to her chambers.

The Underground's weather turned strange at the exact moment Katriana lost all hope of Jareth ever returning love to her. Dark clouds rolled across the sky and a torrential downpour erupted the next moment. The rains lasted for five days, the amount of time that Katriana stayed in her room, crying.

After much debate Jareth decided to speak to her. He could not have his precious Underground flooding. Besides, he missed her songs. There was no reason to cry so much. She had a good life.

"Katriana, are you coming out of your chamber? I have a feeling that this rain is soon going to be in my very castle," Jareth called.

"I no longer care what happens to me. My heart has been broken," Katriana cried.

Jareth's anger erupted suddenly and he threw the door open. Katriana sat upon her bed, gazing out the window. Her tears were still streaming down her face and her eyes were swollen and red. Jareth noticed something strange. Her hair that had once been like pure gold was now streaked with gray and white. She had aged. Jareth didn't know what to think. He had never aged. However, Katriana was not gifted with the power to control time and thus live as young for hundreds of years.

"I demand that you cease the infernal bawling, Katriana!" Jareth yelled.

She shrank away from him and wiped her tears from her eyes. She could not hurt him, despite the agony she had suffered at his hands. Her love was undying. Katriana took in a ragged breath and stopped the tears. The rain stopped outside and the sun broke through the thick clouds overhead.

Jareth smiled at her and then turned to leave. He had reached the door when a strange feeling overtook him. He looked back to Katriana and gazed at her closely. She watched him, hoping beyond hope that he finally realized what she had felt since she had first met him.

"I expect you to return to you singing, Katriana. I will not allow you to stay here for nothing. Come this evening for dinner," with that Jareth closed the door behind himself.

Katriana was shattered. She had no hope of ever convincing Jareth to love her. She no longer wanted to stay with him in his castle. There was no future for her there. Katriana decided against going to dinner that night. She would wait until everyone had retreated to the dining hall and then leave. Her heart could no longer take the pain.

She held the necklace tightly in her hand and then walked towards the window. The sun was slowly setting in the distance as was her life. Katriana knew that her existance was drawing to an end. She had lived for fifty long years and soon her time would be over. It was just as well that she die in the forest that had brought so much joy to her during the first years of her life.

That night Katriana snuck away from the castle and stole into the darkness. Jareth never saw her again, but he did hear her music drifting through the Underground. He gradually began to realize that he missed his old companion, but it was too late. He had never given her magic so she had died shortly after her escape from the castle.

The Overseer's hopes were crushed. Jareth had not responded to the beautiful woman he had given to the king, so he would probably never love anyone. That would mean that the Underground was doomed to remain in the shadow of hate and cruelty.

However, Katriana was shown pity. The Overseer took her up with him before she died and returned her to her previous loveliness and youth. She was never happy again. She would not laugh, smile nor sing. It hurt the Overseer's heart to see her act so, but there was nothing that he could do to help her. Jareth's love was the only thing that could cure her, but he did not feel for her that way.

Katriana discovered a secret hidden by the fates. Her attitude brightened after her findings and she was actually able to smile for the first time in years. For she had found out something that would occur very shortly in the future. This something was going to change everything for the Underground and for their king, Jareth. She was content to wait patiently for the time to come.

For when this time comes Jareth, himself, will face the pain Katriana endured. She pities him, for her love is still as strong, but she knows that this event will finally show the Goblin King that he can be loving, not only cruel. So Katriana, the woman who knows only goodness, awaits the time for the Goblin King to discover love.


	17. Sarah's Riddle

Chapter Fifteen, part 3: Sarah's Riddle

The whole crowd was silent as the storyteller walked back to the group. Several furrygatherers congratulated him on a very good tale. He simply smiled and then glanced over to Sarah. She was not watching. Leader looked closely at the young woman and had to try very hard not to read her thoughts, for she was very deep in them at the time.

Sarah could only think about the woman whom she had seen in Jareth's castle and the necklace that she had received. Had she spoken to Katriana? The idea chilled her very soul and sent a shiver up her spine. The woman who had loved Jareth was helping her with her quest. It sounded absurd!

It was a sad and depressing story. Katriana had tried to change the heartless Jareth into something human, but it didn't work. She was so sweet and innocent. The story only made Sarah's anger burn deeper. Jareth had been cruel his whole life, why would he ever change? Sarah had actually thought that she had seen caring in his intense eyes. She scoffed at the thought. That evil creature was not capable of love, not even kindness.

"And Toby is alone with that monster," Sarah thought to herself.

Sarah finally brought herself out of her thoughts and realized that many of the furrygatherers had wandered off. Kyper was nowhere to be seen. Obviously, it was past his bedtime. He had had a rough day, after all. Sarah noticed Leader sitting beside her. He had a velvet bag between his legs.

"Did you enjoy the story?" Leader asked.

Sarah nodded in response. The furrygatherer had told the tale very well. It was unfortunate that it had been such a tearjerker. Sarah wiped at her own wet eyes and scooted over to Leader. He looked at her with a fatherly gleam in his black eyes. The fire was dying fairly quickly, someone would have to add more wood to it soon unless they were going to talk in the darkness.

"I thought that it was sad. It seems like there are a lot of things that I didn't know about the Underground and Jareth. Of course, I'm not saying I'm an expert or anything, but..," Sarah started to ramble nervously.

"Shh," Leader said.

He unfolded the velvet bag and drew an old leather-bound book. Sarah looked at it with interest. The outer cover looked very much like her book of the Labyrinth. However, she knew that this book was much more special. It seemed to emanate a certain power. Sarah watched as Leader set the book atop the velvet and opened it carefully.

"Our past," he began," has all been written in books. Our future has been written in books and the present is being written as we speak. I know that you have had a meeting with lovely Katriana. She has given you a very special gift, Sarah. Your necklace is a big piece of this whole puzzle. You see, when you solved the Labyrinth you had just begun to look at the whole riddle, so to speak. This riddle continued to unfold itself until you returned. Now you need to solve it in time to save the crystals and the magic and the Underground and Jareth."

Leader paused to flip another page over in his book. Sarah strained to see the writing, but the light was too poor. She was startled that Leader had mentioned Jareth in his speech. It shocked her even more to realize that Leader expected Sarah to save Jareth. Who would want Jareth saved? After the horrible story she had heard, Sarah could care less about what happened to him.

"_Do you, do you really not care? I feel that there might still be something inside you that cares very much,"_ an inner voice said to her.

Sarah looked to Leader, questioning. Had he read her thoughts again? Leader gazed at her mildly, awaiting for her to respond. Sarah shook her head and ignored the troubled feeling that was slowly infesting her mind.

"Go on, please," Sarah urged.

"As I was saying, you must solve this riddle. I have heard the riddle that you carry with you, sung before. It was a song that Katriana used to grace us with. However, it was not a song meant for her or the king. This song was entirely meant for you Sarah, and entirely meant for you to solve. You are cunning and determined and I know that you shall do everything in your power to help us. However, my crystal is dead."

Leader paused a moment to let the truth sink in. Sarah's mouth dropped open in surprise. She had come here for nothing. The crystal was already dead, so there was nothing she could do. She had made another mistake and possibly put the future of the Underground in jeopardy. Leader quickly continued his speech before she could respond.

"Do not lose hope so soon, Sarah. Not all the crystals are dead. I am quite sure that the most of them are still alive, weak but alive. I know where there are two others, but to get to them will be a difficult task. I am sure you will be able to conquer the problems that you face, for you are brave. I only hope that I might be able to help you enough to make you feel like this stay has not been totally useless." Leader thought about this for a moment.

Sarah took in a deep breath. It seemed like all the odds were stacked against her. How was she to gather all the crystal orbs if they were dying so quickly? What if she reached each one to only see them die? That was a terrifying thought. She only wished that she could get back to the castle and ask Jareth to send her and her brother home.

"You have done so much for me, Leader. I especially thank Kyper. If he hadn't been so brave I would probably be dead. Everyone has been kind and giving. I want you all to know that I couldn't have asked for anything more," Sarah said with a smile.

Leader returned her grin. However, his mind was focusing on the book. Sarah peered down at it and noticed a picture of the medallion that was on her necklace. Sarah touched it through her dress and again wondered why it was so strangely warm.

"This necklace was Jareth's, wasn't it? Katriana gave it to him when she wanted to profess her love. Why did she offer it to me as an answer to my question? I don't understand how it can help me," Sarah was quite confused.

"What question did you ask, my dear?" Leader inquired.

Sarah thought back to the time she had traveled up the stairs to the darkened room. The question had nearly been forgotten, but had burst forth suddenly, with great speed.

"I asked how Jareth could be so kind and then so cruel. It didn't seem right," Sarah said.

Leader nodded his head knowingly. A shimmer seemed to have formed in his wise old eyes. Sarah finally understood that Leader knew more than he was disclosing to her. This angered her slightly, but she realized that he couldn't tell her the answer to her riddle. All he could do was help her to find the truth.

"The answer is before your very eyes," Leader stated simply.

Sarah shook her head slowly. Why was it that every answer was presented to her as another riddle? If they really wanted her to save the crystals, they were certainly hiding it well. Leader acted as if he had all the time in the world to wait for Sarah to solve her little riddle.

"I understand that you can't give me the answer, but please Leader, can't you give me a better hint?" Sarah begged.

The old furrygatherer's eyes twinkled with a kind of hidden knowledge. He snapped the book shut and then handed it to Sarah, his gaze never leaving her own. Sarah broke their connection and glanced at the book that looked so much like her's.

"_You have found most of the pieces, Sarah. All that is left is to put those parts together to find the answer. Look within yourself for the truth,"_ an elderly voice stated.

Sarah looked at Leader and realized that he had not opened his mouth to speak to her. He was communicating with her through thoughts. Sarah was shocked. She had entirely thought that the furrygatherer was speaking to her, but now she wasn't so sure. This only made Sarah more confused.

"I-I don't understand," Sarah said.

Leader touched her hand gently with his worn hoof. He was not going to answer her question, she realized that the next moment. That was all he was going to tell her about the riddles. She looked at the book that was clutched tightly in her hands and set it on the ground. When would she have time to read?

"I think that it is about time that I tell you where you might find some other orbs. I have already informed you, Sarah, that it will be difficult to reach them. I feel that your pure heart and determined nature will overpower the odds and you will succeed in the end.

The first of the two I personally know about, is kept deep within Lake Crystal Moon. It is kept by the Mirameds, Mermaids as humans have so ignorantly called them. They will gladly help you once you have found their homes, which will be the difficult part.

The other crystal has been lost within the wastelands past the rise of the mountains. I have known many that searched for it, but never found anything. I warn you Sarah, that land has been cursed and destroyed. Do not trust anything there. There is not truth and there is no happiness. Depression lurks around every corner, waiting for you to doubt yourself. Many have died from becoming lost deep inside the dismal area. I pray that you will heed my warnings and take care when you travel there.

There has been rumor of one of the crystals laying atop the mighty mountains. I do not know where or if the rumor is true. Perhaps, if you have the time, you would hike through the paths and inspect the many caves and tunnels in the mountains' bodies."

Sarah gazed at the dancing fire as it slowly died away. The light flickered across her face causing strange shadows to run over the ground. She finally turned to Leader and managed a wan smile. Leader was only trying to help her, he didn't understand how impossible it all was. She had lost any hope they had given to her from the dinner and celebration.

"Thank you, Leader. I am sure that that information will help me a lot," Sarah responded in flat tones.

"I don't think you have any hope left. Has my speech depressed you that much? Dear child, there is no reason to fret. You still have twelve days ahead of you to find those magical orbs. There is no reason why you shouldn't succeed," he attempted to improve her mood.

"May I ask you one last thing, Leader?" Sarah questioned as she helped the furrygatherer to his feet.

"Of course."

Sarah thought about her question for a while. She had to be careful of the wording, unless Leader got the wrong impression. She only had one chance. Her fingers reached up and toyed with the mysterious medallion. It shimmered slightly in the moonlight. The golden reflections shone in Leader's glassy black eyes.

"I have tried to sort out my feelings for a long time, but they remain out of control. I suppose that you already know that Jareth and I have been enemies for six years. However, when I arrived here he seemed to have changed. Right before I left he was concerned for me. He actually asked me to return to him before he died. I don't understand why he changes so? His mood swings nearly tear me apart as well, for I can only guess at how he will act from moment to moment. It would put my mind at ease to know the answer," Sarah begged.

Leader looked at her for a long time. His gaze seemed to burrow into her very mind. He was probing for the answer. He blinked his eyes a few times and then shook his furry little head.

"I can't answer your riddles. However, I may tell you something that can help you arrive at the truth. It seems that you try to say that he is either evil or kind. I believe that our king is very much both, Sarah. The rest is within your pieces," Leader said.

He turned away from her with his final words. Sarah watched the old animal walk slowly towards the box that would bring him back up to the top of the trees. His statement had helped her a little, but not enough. She would just have to take some time, time that she didn't have mind you, to solve the dastardly riddle.

With that thought Sarah hurried after Leader.


	18. With the Goblin King

Chapter Sixteen: With the Goblin King

It seemed like an eternity before the cloud of darkness fell from before his eyes. Even when the light had begun to fight its way through his eyelashes, he still felt as if he were deep in sleep. His head throbbed sickeningly and convinced him of the fact that he was very much awake. To his knowledge, people did not experience pain in their dreams, or nightmares.

Jareth placed a hand to his head. He was actually very surprised to be alive. It had felt like death was very close when he had stumbled from the crystal room. Of course, it wouldn't be that easy. Nothing was that easy anymore.

"Katriana," the name suddenly fell from his mouth.

Jareth was shocked at the sudden appearance of her name on his tongue. He had not thought about her for so long. In fact, he had just recently wondered what had come of her when she had run away from his castle. Jareth dismissed the useless worry the next moment. He had more important things to think about, such as Sarah and her quest.

Jareth carefully made his way out of the bed and cringed at the persistent throbbing of his head. He closed his eyes and waited for the pain to cease. However, it was stubborn and would only slightly dull. He finally gave up and made his way to his feet.

"What...?" Jareth exclaimed as he glanced around the room.

The door stood open. That in itself was shocking, but that was not what caught Jareth's attention. His room laid in shambles. His clothes had been torn from the closet and tossed carelessly about the dirty floor. Several articles had been dragged as far as the doorway and then piled into a heap. The blue billowy curtains were strangely missing, as was the blanket atop his bed. Jareth's anger surged forth and he was powerless to stop it. Whoever had dared to ruin his chambers would face the consequences.

Jareth stalked from his room with murder flashing in his icy eyes. He had entirely forgotten about changing out of his blood-stained clothes. For once, appearance did not matter to him. He wanted revenge, he needed revenge. Jareth pitied the poor fool who had thought himself so wise as to destroy the Goblin King's room as he laid in a deep sleep.

Jareth stopped outside his crystal room. The doors had been left open. He glanced inside, fearing that the vandal had attacked his sacred shrine as well. His accusations were correct. The ancient books laid on the ground, scattered about as if they were toys. His blood had stained the chair and the floor as well, but that had been Jareth's doing. His gaze ran over the room, checking for any differences. He stopped and noticed that the painting had vanished. This was not only a vandal, but a thief.

"I will not tolerate this kind of behavior!" Jareth's booming voice echoed in the empty castle.

There was nothing to answer him. The goblins were gone, well mostly. They had been annoying pests, but at least he hadn't been totally alone as he was now. It was utterly boring. What good was it to be a king if all of your subjects had turned to stone or disappeared? Without things over which to rule, you simply weren't a king . He didn't even have anyone to take his anger out on.

Jareth rushed from the crystal room, his anger growing as he realized that there was nothing he could do. For once, he was helpless. Sarah had all the power, and that frightened him more than anything else. Even the idea of suffering for the rest of his life, which could very well be several more hundred years if the magic survived, was not as horrifying as the knowledge that Sarah had power over him entirely.

"She might as well be queen," Jareth snorted angrily.

A strange sound drifted to him through the eerie silence that had blanketed the castle in a stifling grip. It very nearly sounded like laughter, but that was absurd. Who would be laughing in his castle? Everyone was gone, or so he thought. Jareth followed the strange noise slowly, as if he expected to have something pounce on him at each step. The laughter appeared to be coming from the throne room. Perhaps the vandal had decided to take over Jareth's kingdom.

"He can have it," Jareth thought bitterly.

He strode through the doors to face the invader head on. The laughter immediately faded away into oblivion. A small boy with dirty cheeks and a mass of golden hair sat on the throne. He looked at the Goblin King in amazement and then leaped down from the seat. He gazed up at Jareth with wide, innocent eyes.

"A-Are you the Goblin King?" Toby asked carefully.

Jareth scolded himself for not remembering the boy. Of course, he had had a serious attack from his mystery illness. He wondered what else the curious child had gotten into. His mind flashed to thoughts of the prisoners in his dungeon. Had Toby ventured down there? Jareth had yet to find out if the few goblin guards were still left in the castle. He looked about the room and let out a long sigh when he realized that there was no sign of the beast or Hoggle, the insolent dwarf. Didymus was still in his same spot by the throne.

"What have you done, Toby?" Jareth asked, his anger boiling to the surface once again.

Toby shuddered at Jareth's deadly tone. He motioned about the room at everything that he had done. Jareth took in the disgraceful mess with a sweeping glance. Toby had draped the billowing curtains about the room and the shelves and the throne. The dirt had been swept away as well. The pit that occupied the majority of the center of the floor was filled with cool water. Jareth's blanket had been folded on the seat of his throne. Finally, the picture of Sarah leaned against the wall. Jareth gazed at it for quite a time. Toby obviously noticed Jareth looking at the lovely picture.

"I-I'm sorry about messing up. I was bored and I wanted to make the room look better. I thought that it needed some decorations," Toby remarked with the beginnings of a smile forming on his young face.

Jareth's anger faded away and then died. Toby had done something kind for him, a man who had threatened to turn him into a goblin six years ago. How could he be so nice to a stranger? After all, Jareth had snatched him from his home and locked him in a strange chamber, alone. Jareth found his anger resurfacing, but this time it was directed towards himself. He had not treated the boy properly. He would certainly learn from his mistakes. Toby would not be treated as a prisoner and he most certainly would not be changed into a goblin. After all, Jareth's power probably wasn't strong enough anyway.

"You have done a nice job with the curtains. And I must say that that pit looks far better as a pond than a baby pen," Jareth thought back to the time when Toby had been so carelessly plopped into that very pit. Of course Toby wouldn't remember.

Toby smiled at the Goblin King. He was quick to like anyone, for he didn't understand that people could be evil and mean. That would probably be a downfall in the real world, surrounded by dangerous strangers. But, nonetheless, Toby felt a strange attraction to the powerful man who stood before him. He felt like he needed to befriend the Goblin King. Toby's smile broadened.

"I had a question," Toby said somewhat meekly.

The Goblin King looked down at the small boy and finally decided that he was probably very imposing at such a height. Jareth bent down by Toby and waited for him to continue with his question. A smile found its way to Jareth's lips as Toby started to stutter a bit at his first word. He then took a deep breath to collect himself and continued.

"Is that my sister?" Toby asked in a whisper. He glanced about himself as he spoke.

Jareth looked over to the painting that he had slaved over for five long years, carefully adding the finishing details, but never really finishing. Whenever he claimed to be done, then he would look at Sarah and notice that she had somehow changed. She was aging far too quickly, while Jareth remained the same. Her face had lost its fullness and her body...Jareth shivered a bit and drew his thoughts back to Toby. The child was looking at him with wide eyes.

"Yes, Toby, that is your sister. In fact, Sarah is here right now. She is in my kingdom, on a quest for me," Jareth explained.

Toby looked at Jareth carefully. He had known that his sister had gone back to college. Could it be true that she had come to the Underground instead? Had she known that her tales were true all along? That would mean that she had tricked him for nearly six years! It was not a very pleasant thought. He couldn't believe that his sister would hold out on something like.. like... well, like this! He had been cheated! Toby's chubby face formed into a scowl as he realized that she had known about all of this magical stuff for many years.

"She never told me about this all being real!" Toby whined.

Jareth closed his eyes as the child's whining voice seemed to drill into his aching head. Toby quieted himself when he noticed the Goblin King holding his head in his hands. He looked at the man who had seemed so powerful and mighty at first, but now only appeared like a shadow of his former self.

"Must you dwell on such insignificant things?" Jareth asked carefully.

Toby was quite upset at that. It was not insifincate...insurficate...in..in, whatever. He especially hated when grown-ups decided to use really long words to confuse their children. They probably didn't even know what the words meant. As a matter of fact, Toby was sure that the adults just threw them in so their speeches would sound better. Well, Toby could do it just as well. Now, the idea of his complaint not being important..that was absurd! No no, that was unreasonable. Toby smiled at his large vocabulary.

"That is unresonble," Toby winced as he destroyed the word that had sounded so sweet in his head. Unfortunately his mouth had decided against cooperating that time.

"Toby, you should not think of what Sarah did or didn't do. You are here, in the Underground and you should make the best of it. If you remain upset then I will have to send you home now, I'm afraid. I have no time for spoiled little boys," Jareth replied as he made his way back to his feet.

Toby chewed his lip in thought. He glanced at the Goblin King and noticed the man staring at the picture of Sarah. Toby's thoughts were momentarily forgotten. The king was almost in a trance. His eyes were held captive by the painted ones upon the canvas. A six year old boy does not know much about emotions. Toby was still very much in the frame of mind that girls carried horrible cooties that could easily infest your entire being and turn you into a girl. Toby gagged at the thought. He knew about happiness and sadness, like losing a toy and then getting a new one. However, the Goblin King looked different and Toby was curious about what the strange emotion was. He gazed at the man until Jareth realized that his guest was no longer thinking, but watching him. Jareth turned to Toby, trying to ignore the beckoning painting. He should have left it in the crystal room.

"Have you decided?" Jareth asked hurriedly.

Toby shook his head a bit. He had been observing Jareth so closely that he had completely forgotten what he was thinking about. Toby nearly cried at his forgetfulness, but decided that it was neither the time nor the place. He would have to wait until he was home and his mother was there to fuss over him. Jareth certainly wouldn't.

"Yes?" Toby answered skeptically.

Jareth approached the boy with a friendly smile playing across his handsome features. He looked at the boy and then decided that his throne was more comfortable than standing. Jareth sat gracefully in the throne and then leaned forward to peer into Toby's eyes.

"You want to stay here, young Toby?" Jareth asked.

Toby nodded his head vigorously. He loved the Underground already. It was so magical and unusual. It was everything Toby had ever wanted in life. He had always been different than the other children. Toby adored fantasy creatures and princes and kings and princesses (even though most of them were girls). It would be his dream if he could stay in the Underground, even for just a short time. He hoped he would be able to see Sarah and tell her that he had discovered her secret. Toby smiled at his witty thought.

"Well then, I suppose that I should allow you to decide what we shall do today," Jareth said with a broader smile.

He had been too worried. Perhaps that was what had caused his horrible attack. A little relaxation and fun never hurt anyone. But first, he had to find out what had happened to Sarah in the woods. Just the thought of it brought more stress to his throbbing head. Jareth pushed the thought aside and convinced himself that the mirrors would work for him today and he would find Sarah safe.

"If she is harmed, then that creature shall wish he were dead," Jareth threatened silently. He clenched his jaw as he thought about his plans.

Toby glanced at the angry Goblin King and then thought about his question. There was so much to do, how could he ever choose? Toby debated what to do for a bit longer. Perhaps the best idea would be to inspect the castle a little more closely. After all, if he was going to be staying here for a while he might as well get to know his surroundings.

"Can I look around?" Toby asked with an excited glimmer in his eyes.

Jareth had lost interest in the boy suddenly. He dismissed him and agreed to his question with a bored swish of a gloved hand. Toby rushed away from the newly decorated throne room, in search of adventures that can only be found in a magical castle. Jareth watched him leave and then turned his attention back to Sarah and her quest. He had to find out if she was safe, or else it would plague his every waking moment, and quite possibly his sleep as well. Jareth stood up from his chair and stretched majestically. His annoying headache was beginning to subside and leave him in a peculiarly good mood.

He walked briskly towards his chambers that had been destroyed earlier by Toby, and closed the door behind himself. The child was a nice addition to his boring life, but he couldn't have him snooping in other affairs. Sarah would be horribly worried if she knew that Toby was in the castle. She still thought that he was safe at home. Well, he was still safe, just not exactly at home.

His crystal orb hadn't emitted a glow for several days. He wasn't surprised to see it dull and lifeless, but still suspended in mid air. At least some of the magic still coursed throughout its delicate body.

A memory slapped Jareth and nearly knocked him back. The poem! He could remember it perfectly for a few brief moments and suddenly he understood that he would not be able to save the crystals. Jareth staggered backwards a few steps and then caught his balance. The revelation had been forced upon him so violently that it was nearly exhausting. Jareth took several deep breaths before he approached the magical orb once again. This time there was no awareness of the poem nor any of its startling memories.

"Show me Sarah. I still control you and the magic and I will not be defied any longer. As long as you live, you will listen to me!" Jareth demanded harshly.

It seemed to listen and shone a sickly blue color. Jareth watched with anticipation. Perhaps, his powers were not as weak as he had previously thought. The orb vibrated slightly and then the blue faded away to reveal one of the many forests that covered the entire Underground. There was no blood in the picture, thankfully. However, there didn't really seem to be any ground either. Jareth realized that he was actually viewing the treetops. There was no sign of Sarah.

"How dare you mock me! I demand that you show me Sarah!" Jareth resisted a very strong urge to destroy the orb.

It seemed to grow angry at him, for the blue glow returned a little more fiercely. Jareth shielded his icy eyes and continued to peer into the depths of the crystal. The canopy of leaves pulled away and a series of small wooden homes were revealed. They had been fashioned from the very tree they sat upon. The view swooped over the homes and came to rest over a slightly larger one. However, it was no different from the rest in any other way.

The picture lowered and the curtain of leaves that had been pulled across the doorway parted. A shape was laying upon the ground, huddled in sheets and blankets. Jareth gazed into her angelic face and smiled. He reached out with one hand and brushed it across the surface of the crystal, where her face would have been, had he been by her side.

"You ruined everything, Jareth," He scolded himself.

"Sarah!" Toby exclaimed from behind the Goblin King.

Toby had kept quiet for nearly five minutes, which is very hard for a young boy who has too much energy. He had hidden behind the bed, hoping that he wouldn't be discovered. Actually, he had originally wandered in to ask Jareth if there were any bathrooms in the castle. When he saw the crystal and the picture inside, he convinced his bladder to hold on, which took an awful lot of willpower. That was when he saw his sister and all secrecy immediately vanished from his mind. He forgot about his full bladder and rushed over in front of Jareth to look at his sleeping sister.

Jareth was startled. No one had ever snuck up on him before. How had this noisy little child managed to surprise him? Whats more, Toby had seen the Goblin King nearly profess his deepest and darkest secret to an image of Sarah. Jareth thanked the fates that Toby had revealed himself in time. However, his anger was rearing its ugly head. He snatched Toby by his collar and turned him around abruptly.

"What do you think you were doing, boy?" Jareth snarled.

Toby cringed and tried to run to safety. However, he only managed to fall on his knees. Toby immediately broke into fitful and frightened tears. He gasped and tried to crawl away, but Jareth held tight. Toby rolled on the ground and nearly choked himself from his crying fit.

Jareth watched him, his anger slowly dissipating. As always, it left him feeling drained, despite the fact that he had had a fairly long sleep. Looking at the young boy, he felt only pity and guilt. He had frightened him to tears and, by the look of it, Toby had lost control of other areas as well. Jareth let go of his collar and then lifted the boy into his arms.

Toby fought, for he truly believed that Jareth meant to punish him. His mind was trying desperately to think of a plan of escape, but the tears fogged his rationale. He had only animal instincts left. Toby bit Jareth's injured arm. Jareth tightened his hands a bit to subdue the anger and the pain that had suddenly flared up from Toby's violence.

"If you continue fighting me, I fear that we will not have a very good visit. Just calm down, Toby. My word, you act as if I'm going to kill you right here and now. I have no such plan. I am not going to harm you," Jareth reassured.

Toby stopped his fighting and hitched in a few shaky breaths. His tears were still streaming down his cheeks and blurring his vision, but he believed that Jareth would not hurt him. Toby actually relaxed and allowed the Goblin King to adjust him to a bit more comfortable position. He noticed that he had wet himself and was quite disappointed and embarrassed. However, Jareth had not said anything about it.

"Do you think you can walk now?" Jareth asked.

He had stopped outside of Toby's chambers and set him down. Toby snuffled a bit in response and then took a few shaky steps into the room. Jareth watched from the door with a sort of endearment towards the boy. He was so small and innocent.

Jareth had always wondered why the humans had children. Tired and upset parents, or siblings, wished them away to him. Once they reached his castle all they did was scream and cry until they turned into goblins. However, now he was beginning to understand what the need for babies was all about. It was actually quite enjoyable to have someone who depended on you and looked up to you. They needed love and caring and in return the children gave their entire affection over to their parents. In all his hundreds of years, Jareth had never even considered having a child. Now...

He shook the strange thoughts from his mind and watched as Toby waddled further into the room. He was quite wet, and was probably very uncomfortable. There were no clothes in the castle for someone Toby's size, unless his magic was being agreeable, which he very much doubted. Jareth attempted to form a crystal, but there was nothing in his awaiting palm. They would have to find some clothes the difficult way. Perhaps the empty goblin city would have something that was clean, (that was very doubtful, but worth a try).

"I think that today would be better spent within the city," Jareth proclaimed.

Toby turned back to face Jareth. His cheeks were flushed with color. Jareth smiled a bit at him, thinking about the embarrassing situation. The child didn't want to go in public with a stain on his pants. However, there wouldn't be anyone down there to see, save Jareth and perhaps a few animals, no one important anyway.

"Come now, Toby," Jareth demanded.

Toby looked disgusted. Of course, the reason he looked that way was because he was. His pants were wet and beginning to feel rather cold. All he wanted was to change, but the Goblin King seemed to have other ideas. Toby let out a short breath. He would just do as Jareth had said. The city was probably very interesting. He wobbled after the regal man, trying to keep his legs away from the wet material.

"Can we..I mean, I think I need to, you know, umm, change," Toby begged.

Jareth glanced down at the boy and scoffed at his ignorance. Didn't the child know that Jareth did not have clothes just laying about his castle for everyone who happened to be drawn in? He was not required to keep them comfortable, just await the inevitable change. Toby should have understood that, but he was still young. Jareth would have to allow the boy a bit longer to comprehend certain things.

The heavy iron doors swung open of their own accord. Toby marveled at the way they had moved by themselves, his wetness forgotten for the time being. Jareth ignored the obviously amazing sight and strode through the doorway. He was not used to walking so much, but as of lately it had become his main means of transportation. Taking on his owl form only depleted the weak magic. Walking was not as horrible as he had thought, for Jareth had watched many people walk, run, jog, as they toiled through his Labyrinth. It had seemed loathsome and exhausting. Flying was much more enjoyable, but walking was bearable in its own menial way.

"Wow! Is this the goblin city?" Toby asked, his wide eyes taking in the surroundings.

Jareth nodded. He was not proud of the dirty, vile city. It was infested with rats and wild cats that roamed throughout the shacks and marketplace. The horrid dump left a ghastly odor over the entire city. Jareth had rarely ventured into the goblin city. He had no reason to walk among the lowly inhabitants.

"There, Toby. Check the market place," Jareth stated.

The market place was crude, but somewhat cleaner than the rest of the hovel. There were wooden booths placed in a nearly complete circle. It was the city square that they sat in. There had been booths for meats and fruits and many other sorts of foods. There had been clothes and cloth and ribbons. There were tools and swords. Occasionally a local artist would happen by and sell his works (whether paintings or written pieces), and then there had been the yearly visit by the elves. Their goods had always been far superior than anything the goblins could dream of developing.

He watched the boy sift through piles of forgotten merchandise. The goblins had deserted the city and the castle. They thought that the castle was making them disappear. Their inferior minds couldn't comprehend the immensity of the real problem. Toby managed to gather two decent pairs of pants and a shirt that appeared to be close to his small size. However, he wasn't done. Toby had ignored his wet clothes and decided that the market was too interesting to suddenly leave. He rushed over to the many swords that laid atop the counter of one booth.

Jareth let out a sigh of boredom. He leaned against one of the dilapidated brick walls and waited for the child to tire of the place. It would probably be fairly soon.

Childrens' attention spans were generally extremely short, at least that was what he had heard.

As he watched Toby marvel over the strange goods, Jareth could easily see the family resemblance. Toby looked very much like Sarah, despite the fact that they had totally different mothers. They acted alike as well and Jareth was fairly sure that Toby would be acquiring a certain stubborn streak soon. They even had the same glimmer in their eyes. Perhaps it was due to the fact that they were both amazed with magic and very open to fantasy. Toby's clear blue eyes held the same life as Sarah's deep, brown eyes.

"May I take anything?" Toby asked.

Jareth nodded. He looked towards his castle and thought back to the crystal orb that had finally decided to work with him again that day. Sarah had been safe, that was a relief. However, she had been up in the trees. That was a surprise. She had probably befriended some different sort of creature.

"Her friends!" Jareth was suddenly very alarmed.

They had been in the dungeon, but what with the goblins gone, who was keeping them there? Did his spell still work over Ludo? Were the bonds still secured around the large beast? So many uncertainties. Jareth had to get back and Toby would have to cut his playtime short.

Jareth strode over to the boy and gently grabbed his arm. Toby looked a bit upset at being stopped in the midst of exploring, but noticing the Goblin King's worry, he relented. After all, fighting never got anyone anywhere.

Jareth new immediately that something had happened. The proud metal doors that had stood before his castle since the beginning of time, were no longer upright. In fact, something had knocked them down. Jareth looked at the disaster and then over his shoulder towards the goblin city.

Sarah's friends had escaped and would soon be on their way to find her.


	19. Say Goodbye

Chapter Seventeen: Say Good Bye

Sarah's eyes snapped open and she sat up with a start. Someone was watching her. She nearly could see a pair of piercing blue eyes gazing at her, but it was just her imagination. She must have been dreaming, but she didn't remember anything. Sarah pulled a hand through her thick, and horribly tangled, brunette hair. She was just having a hard time adjusting, that was all. She wasn't going crazy. But why was she thinking of Jareth constantly and seeing him when he certainly wasn't there?

"I need a vacation," Sarah mumbled to herself.

She looked back at the comfortable pillow that had cradled her head in slumber. However, sleep would be all but impossible after the unnerving experience. She finally relented and decided that she would just have to get an early start on the day's traveling. It was just as well that she got going, then she would face the big good bye sooner as well.

Poor Kyper, simply couldn't come with her any further. He had family and friends that he needed to stay with. Besides, she couldn't watch over a child while she was on her quest. The whole quest could be very dangerous and she certainly didn't want Kyper to get injured. He would just have to understand that that was the way life went. It wasn't fair.

Sarah rose luxuriously from the quaint matters. She pulled the sweater over her simple gray dress. The morning had a cold chill to it. The wool felt warm and sweet against her neck. It reminded her of winter evenings by a fire with her father and her real mother. That was when they had still been a family. Sarah smiled at the lovely memory and decided that she would have to be positive about her quest.

"Sarah, why are you up?" a tiny voice asked from behind her.

Sarah spun around. Kyper was standing amidst the curtain of leaves. His furry head was poked through and several vines had wrapped about his ear. Kyper shook his head and freed himself from the tangle of foliage. He then trotted up to Sarah, a look of excitement on his youthful face.

"I just woke up," Sarah said.

She didn't feel like going into the specifics about the dream and the feeling that she had been watched. Kyper wouldn't understand, anyway. He was too young to know about paranoia. She remembered his mind reading ability and silently prayed that he hadn't used it. If he had, Kyper didn't show any expression changes. He was still very excited and obviously wanted to tell Sarah something immediately.

"You seem like you're in a good mood today, Kyper," Sarah remarked casually.

The young furrygatherer nodded his head in agreement. A large grin had formed upon his face. He looked like he was about to burst from anticipation. Sarah knelt down by her friend and awaited his news. She hoped that Kyper had something good to tell her.

"I just can't wait! It's going to be so exciting with all the traveling and the journey and the crystals! I'm all ready to go with you this morning!" Kyper stated.

Sarah's heart dropped. How could she crush poor Kyper's hopes? He was so happy and she was going to destroy everything. Sarah felt like a creep. Kyper still watched her with his trusting black eyes, but he looked a bit worried as well. She reached out and took one of Kyper's small hooves into her hand. The only way to tell him was to get on with it. There would be no more hesitating. Kyper deserved to know that he was going to have to stay home, where it was safe. She would almost certainly see him again. At least, she hoped that she would.

"I really need to talk to you about that, Kyper. You do know that this is going to be dangerous and not all that fun?" Sarah asked carefully.

The excitement was slowly falling out of Kyper's expressions. He gazed at Sarah, obviously wishing that he had used his telepathic power a little sooner. He looked down at his feet and then back to her.

"I know..but..." Sarah cut him off with a finger upon his mouth.

"Listen. It won't be a game. My quest is very serious and I'm afraid that I can't have anyone else with me. I greatly appreciate everything that you did for me, especially saving my life from that beast. I'm not saying I don't like you, because you're a great friend! I don't think that your parents would want you to take the chance and go with me. I seriously doubt that they gave their okay about this. Am I right?" she asked.

Kyper shook his head reluctantly. He knew what would be coming next. He should have understood that Sarah would not let him accompany her. He knew that it was important and dangerous, but he was her friend and she needed him to keep her company. Kyper couldn't bring himself to look at her for fear that he would break into tears.

"I didn't think they would. Now Kyper, I understand that you might be mad at me for a while. You have every right to be mad because it sucks. You are too young, and that is the best reason I can give you. Life isn't fair. I learned that when I had to go through everything to get my brother back. Now you have to learn it," Sarah explained.

Kyper nodded. He was losing a terrible battle with tears. They had welled up in his eyes and one trickled over. Kyper wiped at it without much of a thought. He didn't want Sarah to know that he was crying. He wanted her to think that he was old enough. He could go and he could take care of himself. It wouldn't be too hard. He could just tag along for a while and then go back home. Yeah... However, he knew that it wouldn't work the moment he decided to tell her. She would just shake her head and tell him that he was too young and he had to stay home with his family. It wasn't fair, she was certainly right about that.

Sarah placed her hand beneath Kyper's chin and drew his gaze up to her own. Her face melted into concern once she saw the tear stains on his fur. Kyper tried to hide them by wiping his hooves across his cheeks, but it didn't work. Sarah brushed his fur back gently on the top of his head.

"I'm sorry, Kyper. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you," Sarah whispered.

She wrapped her arms around Kyper's small furry body. He wrapped his arms about her neck and cried in her sweater. No longer did he care what she thought about him being old or young. He couldn't hold his emotions back any longer. He was being tossed away by someone he really liked and it hurt him.

"I-I don't w-want yo-u to go," Kyper said in between sobs.

Sarah patted his back and attempted to soothe him. Kyper only clutched her stronger, in an attempt to never let her go. Perhaps if he held on long enough she would let him come with her. No one would be able to pry him from her, no one!

Sarah pulled out of the embrace and shocked Kyper. He had thought that she would hold on for much longer. However, all she did was ruffle his head and then stand up, stretching her back. Sarah grabbed her pack and then did a quick check of the room. She had forgotten about Kyper. He was quite upset about it too.

"Sarah?" Kyper asked.

Sarah turned and smiled at him. She pushed him towards the door and swung the curtain of leaves away for them to pass by. Kyper blinked his eyes several times in the harsh sunlight. They were weak from the crying. Sarah placed her hand on Kyper's shoulder and walked beside him.

"Come one, buddy. I need to see Leader and you're welcome to accompany me," Sarah replied.

Kyper was perplexed. Hadn't she just noticed his crying fit? Why was she suddenly acting so different? Sure, he had only known her for a short time, but it was strange. Maybe she was trying to ignore the sadness. That made some sense, but Kyper wished that she hadn't changed her mood so suddenly.

They stopped outside of the largest building that was at the end of the walkway. That was Leader's home and it looked like he was still asleep, or meditating. Sarah hesitated outside the curtain of leaves. There was no door nor a doorbell. How was she supposed to let Leader know that she was there? She couldn't just yell to him. That would be rude. So what did one do to make one's presence known? Sarah looked to Kyper for some help.

"What?" Kyper asked.

Sarah gestured towards the home, but Kyper didn't seem to get the clue. He only looked at Sarah with a very confused expression. Sarah finally gave up and threw her hands into the air in defeat. She would just have to try and do it her way.

"Leader?" Sarah asked softly. She certainly didn't want him to get mad at her.

There was no response from within the home. Perhaps she had been wrong. Maybe Leader wasn't home. That would make her job a lot easier. Then she could just find him and not worry about how to ask to be let in without a doorbell.

"Or at least a knocker," Sarah thought to herself.

"You don't have to stand out there, child. Sarah, you and young Kyper can come on inside," a warm voice rose up from inside.

Sarah was relieved. She took Kyper's hoof in her hand and pulled him after her. Sarah pulled the leaves aside for Kyper and then let them swing shut behind her. Leader gazed at them mildly from his position on the floor. There were several candles lit about him. In the corner was the old orb. It did look dead. There was no glow and it was laying on the ground, like a normal rubber ball. There was no magic left.

"I wasn't sure what to do," Sarah explained.

Leader nodded. He understood everything. Sarah sat upon the ground by him and urged Kyper to do the same. The young animal fell to the ground, but went to play with the crystal. Sarah nearly grabbed him. She didn't want the magical orb damaged, but Leader caught her arm. He shook his head.

"Do not worry about Kyper. He can't damage the orb. Even though the magic no longer flows throughout its body, it is still resilient. Let him play, for he has few years left to be young. Too soon this child shall be full grown and have a family of his own. You just wait," Leader said, his ancient eyes twinkling.

Sarah looked at Kyper. She almost felt like a mother towards him. She couldn't believe how fast she had grown attached to him. It would be hard to leave. Sarah was going to have to struggle with the tears, especially since the furrygatherers might be gone when she returned. If she failed, then all of them would die. Sarah gulped.

"You are putting to much stress upon yourself, Sarah. Let the fates take their proper course. I feel that you will succeed in the end. I am quite sure. You are strong and determined, as I have told you many times before. I will wait here in this tree with the community, until the word of your success has reached my ears. I know it shall," Leader said.

Sarah could only smile at Leader. She wished that she shared his optimism, but she was the one going on the quest. Sarah, herself, wasn't sure if she could make it through all the trials. Only time would tell what would happen. Leader remained silent. He obviously didn't find it a proper time to comment.

Kyper snuggled against Sarah's arm. He looked at her and wrapped his furry forearms about her waist. Sarah placed a hand upon his shoulder and smiled. It felt nice to be with the furrygatherers and she really didn't want to leave. However, she had no choice. Her destiny had been pushed upon her by an annoying man!

"I guess it's about time that I get going. You know, the sooner I leave, the sooner I can get back," Sarah told Kyper.

He seemed to brighten up a bit at her comment. Kyper jumped to his feet and rushed towards the door. Sarah made her way up a little slower than the agile animal. She bent her knees several times, not liking the stiff feeling that had seeped into her joints from sitting on the hard ground.

Leader looked to Sarah, his eyes portraying his immense wisdom. Leader seemed to be trying to tell her something with his eyes. He was gazing into hers a little to closely. He seemed to say that she knew the truth.

_"Do you really think you shall be back so soon?"_ his eyes seemed to ask.

Sarah shook her head. Leader was right once again. She didn't think that she would be back soon. Sarah seriously doubted if she would ever return. However, Leader had said that he thought that she would succeed. She just needed to dwell on that happy thought.

"Think happy thoughts," Sarah murmured to herself.

She waved to Leader and then turned to Kyper. He had already dashed outside to wait for her. Sarah didn't know where he kept all the excess energy. She wished that she had only half of his stamina. It would aid her a lot with her voyage. When she had been young, just barely eight, she had dashed about the house with a seemingly endless supply of energy. Oh, the good old days! Sarah smiled inwardly at her personal joke.

"Oh, Sarah. You mustn't forget this!" Leader called.

Sara turned and noticed a glimmer in Leader's hands. He tossed it to her and she caught it, with a brief moment of fear that she would miss and destroy the gift. Sarah gazed at the crystal ball. It was the one that she had left in the forest. That she was sure of. But, how in the world did Leader ever get hold of it? Sarah distinctly remembered leaving the crystal in the woods. As a matter of fact, she had thrown it into the woods. It would take ages to find the small thing. When did Leader have enough time? He couldn't have gone out and found it on accident. The place she had thrown it was at least a mile away and Leader was old. Of course, he could have used magic. He did have one of the orbs. His orb was dead though. How could he use the magic, unless he had used the last of the power to find her crystal? But why would he do that? Did Leader know something that she had yet to discover about the crystal ball? Too many questions!

"Thanks," Sarah replied, still very much in her own world.

Leader did not acknowledge her. He had gone back to his meditating. Sarah watched him for a moment and then hurried out. She placed the lovely crystal in her pack and then adjusted the bag over her shoulder. Kyper, sure enough, was waiting for her outside of the house. He had his golden balls out and was clanging them together. A wonderful musical symphony of sounds came from the gorgeous balls. Kyper stopped when he noticed that Sarah had finally come out.

"Poppa and Momma wanted you to stop by before you left. They said that they have some stuff to give you," Kyper said.

He had managed to improve his hoof skills. It was amusing, though a little sad, to watch him struggle to replace the instruments into their velvet bag. Kyper squeezed them between his hooves and, holding the bag in his teeth, placed them inside. It took nearly five minutes to put the four balls away, but Kyper was proud of himself and so was Sarah. He had matured a lot since she first met him...yesterday! It seemed like ages ago.

Kyper got to his feet and rushed down the walkway to his home. Sarah followed him at a slightly brisk pace. She had no intention of running. The morning was lovely and one that she wanted to enjoy a bit longer. Kyper would just have to wait a few extra minutes.

She stood up slowly and held the hoof of the small furrygatherer. It was just so hard to let go of him. Kyper was holding tears inside again, but he was about to lose control. Sarah feared that if he did, then she would too. Then they would have a crying fest!

"Yeah!" Sarah thought bitterly to herself.

Kyper's parents had given her much more than she had expected. They offered her more food than she could ever fit into her bag. There were canteens of cool water and the delectable punch. They had made her packs of meat that had been tediously wrapped into a large leaf for preservation. There were exotic fruits and vegetables. They had even included two whole loaves of bread. Sarah was shocked with the amount of everything. She had managed to take one loaf of bread, some meat, the canteens and a handful of fruits and other miscellaneous items. As it was her pack felt as if it weighed about ten times more than originally.

Sarah had thanked them many times and tried to give back some of the food . They would only take what didn't fit. She was worried that they were sacrificing their own meals for her. Sarah couldn't accept that. However, she doubted that the rest of the community would let Kyper's family go hungry. They were all very close.

Sarah stopped in mid stride and turned around once again. Kyper was still waving mournfully from his position beside his mother. She had an arm about her son and was waving as well. In fact, all the furrygatherers were waving. Sarah managed a smile, despite her depressed mood, and waved back.

She walked away once again and continued further into the woods. Sarah turned one last time to get a good look at Kyper. She would not allow herself to forget him as she had done with her other three friends. She had pushed their memories aside. If she ever returned home, she was never going to forget Kyper. He was too special, and she was going to keep her other friends in mind. Growing up didn't mean that you had to get rid of your childhood.

Leader had joined the farewell party when she glanced back the last time. His wise eyes sparkled in the morning sun. He looked older to her. Sarah was actually shocked at how much he seemed to have aged. The magic was taking its toll on him as well. He raised one weak hand to her and then replaced it upon his cane. Sarah turned away from them. She couldn't bear to see Leader so weak.

She remained on her course and didn't look back another time to say good bye to the furrygatherers and her dear friend, Kyper.


	20. The Ride of a Lifetime

Chapter Eighteen, part 1: The Ride of a Lifetime

"Not even twelve days left and I've only managed to find one dead orb. This might be even harder than I anticipated. How am I supposed to get into a lake and talk to mermaids? Oh, sorry, Mirameds!" Sarah moaned as she trekked through an extremely overgrown section of the forest.

Thick bushes blocked her path and she only managed to get by them by wiggling beneath or climbing over. They scratched at her face and pulled at the soft fabric of the dress and sweater. Of course, trying to climb, hike and crawl in a dress was a feat in itself. Once again, Sarah wished that Leader had considered practicality over femininity when it came to choosing an outfit for her. It was a comfortable dress, but still not very useful.

She stopped before a large thorned bush that loomed ominously in front of her. There was no way around, for it appeared to stretch on and on in both directions. It reminded her slightly of the first section of the Labyrinth. Perhaps there was a secret hidden within this horrid bush.

"Yeah, I'm really going to feel over this with my hands," Sarah mocked.

She looked the brier bush over a bit longer and then relented. She would just have to head the other way. Leader had not been kind enough to provide her with a compass and some useful directions. He would have probably just said that she needed to figure that out for herself. It sounded like something Leader would tell her. Sarah smiled bitterly at the memories of the night before and all the questioning Leader would avoid with a riddle. He was a tricky old guy.

Sarah turned away from the bush reluctantly. It didn't appeal to her to suddenly change her direction, but perhaps it was for the best. Maybe she had been going the wrong way and the bush was put there to stop her from making the mistake. It sounded like something Jareth might do, but he was losing magic quickly. Why would he want to waste what little he had left? Sarah dismissed the thoughts and started to head left alongside the shrubbery.

There was no change in the thickness, nor height, nor thorns of the large foliage. She would not be able to pass it by. There was no end in the near distance. However, there was something strange far up on the horizon. Sarah squinted and tried desperately to see what was making the bluish sparkle. It was still too far away, but she would certainly find out.

She turned her lazy walk into a brisk jog. Her muscles needed to get used to being worked, after all. She would probably be jogging through half of the journey, just so she could reach everything in time. Sarah thought about her time constraints and moaned.

The shimmer ahead of her was like a beacon. It glimmered like a thousand of Jareth's crystals all placed together in the sunshine. A cool breeze offered her the scent of water and wet soil. Sarah breathed in deeply and savored the sweet breeze that cooled her sweaty brow. She laughed, despite her short breaths, for she knew what lay ahead of her. It was the lake that Leader had spoken about.

"I can't believe it! The bush did help me!" Sarah exclaimed.

She leapt over a large rock and found herself face to face with something. It moved too fast for her to get a good look it. However, Sarah skidded to a halt and nearly fell flat on her face. She glanced about her and noticed nothing out of place. She had seen something and now it was hiding from her. Sarah was shocked with the thing's speed. Was it a friend or enemy? Sarah bit her lip in fear and hoped that the animal or creature was indeed a friend. She would not be able to outrun something of such great speed. The mysterious beast would probably be able to easily race beside the blindingly fast furrygatherers.

"Hello?" she called with a bit of a waver in her voice.

There was no answer. She couldn't even hear her own echo. The forest was strangely silent all about her. There was not a sound from the birds singing. There were no grasshoppers or crickets that had decided to stick around and serenade the morning. There was no lapping water from the distant lake. There wasn't even a hoot from a nearby owl. At that point Sarah didn't even mind if the white owl appeared before her. At least it would be some sort of noise. The silence was terrifying, especially after seeing the animal she had very nearly run over.

A twig cracked in the near distance and Sarah spun to face it. There was nothing in front of her. A deep breath was taken from behind her and she twirled back around. Still, no sign of the creature. Sarah turned in circles, trying to observe all her surroundings at once. She spun faster and faster, sure that the thing would sneak up behind her when she wasn't looking. Her head was washed over in dizziness and she lost her balance. Sarah staggered a few shaky strides to her left and collided with the brier bush. Sarah fell to the ground beside it, the world moving in strange waves and spirals about her.

She felt her life flash before her eyes. The future she would never have, appeared with the rest of her memories. Sarah thought of everything she had kept hidden for so long. Now, she would never be able to ever inform anyone about her deepest secrets. They would go with her to her rather sudden death. The Underground was doomed and her stupidity was to blame. Everyone depended on her and she had let them down... even Kyper! The poor little furrygatherer. It seemed to take an eon to see her life, but in reality, it only lasted a few short moments, the amount of time it took Sarah to attempt to stagger away from the thorny bush.

"Ouch," Sarah muttered.

Her hand had been cut up from the thorns. Luckily, none of them had decided to stay with her. She held her hand tightly and still tried to look around her. Her sight had somehow slowed down. She turned her head, but the forest wavered until she stopped her gaze from moving. Sarah closed her eyes and then snapped them back open, but nothing had changed.

Nausea snuck over her and she held her stomach tightly. She was going to lose her breakfast. She was sure of it. Sarah begged her food to stay down. She hated throwing up. Her stomach slowly calmed and she lost the urge. Sarah relaxed a bit and waited for her dizziness to subside.

"Who are you?" a shaky voice asked from behind her.

Sarah could not bring herself to look. Her vision had still not become normal. Instead she closed her eyes and waited for the animal to eat her. Something that was that large and so fast would certainly be a predator. She would just give up easily and hope for a quick death.

"I asked who you where!" the voice reminded.

"It doesn't matter who I am. I suggest that you just kill me and get it over with. I'm too dizzy to try to get away so I guess I'm easy prey. You might as well come over here and let me see you before I die. I don't want to be eaten by something I haven't ever laid eyes on," Sarah said in a slow voice.

The creature behind her erupted in a wonderfully musical laugh. It billowed air out onto Sarah's neck, forming goosebumps. She shivered slightly. However, the animal's laughter was all it took to convince her that she was not going to be eaten. Sarah allowed herself to relax a bit more.

"I'm not going to eat you! Why would I ever want to do that?" the voice asked.

It was a strangely familiar voice, but Sarah couldn't quite place it. She had heard the thing before, but it had sounded differently. Or maybe, she was just trying to figure too many things out and she had never heard anyone like it before.

The animal snorted a bit and nickered gently. It's warm muzzle nuzzled against her hair and then it brought its long head around to gaze at her. Sarah was shocked. She jumped back and ran into the animal's long, sturdy legs. It stepped back a little to allow her more room. Its wide eyes were ringed with blue and Sarah was sure that they, if not the voice, did look familiar. Once again, she could not place it.

She was face to face with a horse. The purest white-gray horse that she had ever seen. It was far more intelligent than any other equine she had ever known before. However, all the others hadn't been able to talk. It nickered again and flared its nostrils to take in her scent. Sarah reached out tentatively and stroked the warm gray muzzle. The horse bowed its head and allowed her to scratch his ears.

"Wow," was all Sarah could manage.

The horse whinnied and lifted his head up. He walked entirely before Sarah and once again she was shocked. It was not just a plain horse she was looking at, but a Pegasus! Its billowy feathered wings looked as soft and white as a cloud. They fluttered slightly in the breeze and sparkled as if they had been covered in glitter. Sarah marveled over the animal. It was everything she had ever imagined in her most wonderful dreams. She rose to her feet and tentatively touched one massive wing.

"Well, we haven't got all day. Do you want a ride or not?" the animal asked.

Its eyes twinkled slightly and reminded her of Leader. Was it Leader? Had he disguised himself using the magic? Sarah nearly laughed at her pathetic assumptions. This was not the old furrygatherer. This was a majestic horse. Besides, Leader hadn't had any magic left to use. His orb had died and so had most of his powers. Her mind was just trying to match those interesting and wise eyes.

Sarah finally snapped out of her thoughts. This Pegasus had offered her a ride and she was only staring at it like an imbecile. Of course a ride would be marvelous and exhilarating. She had always dreamed of riding upon a flying horse. She had never expected the dream to come true, for most everyone knew that these animals were pure fantasy. However, Sarah had thought goblins, fairies and talking foxes were fantasies as well (not to mention a seductive Goblin King).

"I would be very grateful for a ride. Please, what is your name so that I don't just call you 'you'," Sarah said as she walked up to the majestic steed.

He nickered slightly and tossed his noble head. His lush mane that very nearly swept the forest floor, floated through the air and sparkled brilliantly. It was as white as he was. His tail swished and swatted a few insects away from his hide. The remarkable creature observed her with his knowledgeable eyes and flared his nostrils slightly. He was very alert about his surroundings. It probably came from being an animal of prey, as were most horses.

"Call me Charm, Sarah," he answered her.

Sarah was surprised to hear the animal speak her name. As far as she knew she hadn't informed him of her name. Perhaps, it was common knowledge throughout the Underground. It seemed like Sarah was well known wherever she went. She certainly didn't understand why, but she understood very little as of lately. Sarah would just have to accept the strange events and move on.

Charm lowered himself to his knees so that Sarah might be able to mount him. She did so very clumsily, for she had never had proper lessons. In fact, her riding career was limited to a few short trailrides she had taken on a pony when she was in junior high. However, despite her novice riding skills, she was not afraid of falling off. Sarah believed that Charm would be smooth as silk as he glided through the wind. Sarah would just cling to his flowing mane and close her eyes.

"Ready?" Charm asked as he glanced back at his passenger.

Sarah checked her pack to assure herself that everything was in its place. She wrapped her hands tightly through locks of his pure white mane. She bent down close to his neck so that some of the wind might be directed away from her. Sarah nodded her head a little reluctantly. The fear was beginning to catch up to her.

"Charm, is this going to be very bumpy?" Sarah asked carefully.

Charm simply nickered in reply. He tossed his head in excitement and Sarah nearly lost her hand hold. Charm leaped forward and flapped his powerful wings about her. They created a wonderful wind that smelled vaguely of flowers and rain. Sarah closed her eyes and imagined herself in a meadow after a spring day. His feathers fluttered about her and swept across her face. They were as soft as down and twice as white.

He rose into the air with a great leap. The illusion of weightlessness swept over her and her stomach jumped awkwardly. His wings beat furiously and stroked her face. Sarah loved the feel of the feathers. They had a soothing affect on her. She even opened her eyes and glanced at the ground below her that was very quickly falling away. Sarah looked at the long thorn bush and marveled at how far it stretched. She truly never would have reached an end.

Sarah gradually lifted herself up to enjoy the rush of the cool breeze sweeping against her flushed face. It was exhilarating and made her feel as free as a bird in the sky. All around her were light downy clouds, drifting lazily by. She shook her head and allowed her hair to flow about her like a banner. Sarah laughed excitedly and removed her hands from his thick mane. Charm looked at her, worried that she had fallen. He nickered to her and Sarah responded with another excited laugh.

The world rushed by her, and she never wanted to get off. She loved riding the large horse through the air. His warm wings brushed over her and offered a sort of barrier against the sky all around. Sarah never even thought once about a fatal fall. She knew that Charm would not allow her to plummet to her doom. He would scoop her back up, if she should happen to fall. Sarah trusted the horse with her life.

The lake passed below them and Sarah realized, if with some regret, that Charm was beginning to descend a little. He moved his legs to control the direction and ease the landing. Sarah nearly felt like crying. She wanted to ride all day. Charm could prove very useful to scale the mountains. He would also be very fun! His warm wings only spread out, gliding them downward. They no longer brushed against her face giving her the wonderful flowery scent.

Charm landed gracefully. He trotted a little to the water's edge and then halted. Sarah waited for Charm to lower himself to his knees once again. She slid off, careful to avoid his large wings and then stood before the lovely horse. Charm whinnied and pranced. His alert ears twisted about to take in all the noises surrounding the lake. It really should have been called an ocean. It was big enough.

"Thank you, Charm. Are you going to be staying with me for the rest of my journey?" Sarah asked hopefully.

A sad gleam formed in Charm's blue-rimmed eyes. He let out a sigh that sounded almost like a nicker. It was hard to discern horse noises from one another. However, she was quite sure that Charm would be leaving. The sadness in his eyes was proof of that. Sarah was shocked at the extent of his sadness. If he had been human he probably would have broken into tears on the spot.

"I have other duties to attend to," Charm replied simply.

Sarah nodded in response. She had seriously doubted that Charm would be able to stay with her, but it had been worth a try. He had already been a lot of help. After all, he had brought her to the lakeside. That had shortened the amount of time it would take Sarah to reach the next orb. How she would reach that crystal was another matter entirely. Charm certainly couldn't help her with that aspect of her journey. He probably couldn't swim very well with his feathered wings. It would be extremely hard to fly with them weighed down with mucky water.

"I really appreciate the help and the fact that you didn't eat me," Sarah teased.

Charm nickered at her joke and then turned to raise back into the air. His long tail swished in the wind and whipped Sarah in the face. She batted it away carefully and watched as Charm glanced back at her. She just couldn't let him go yet. Sarah rushed up beside the horse and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Sarah, what?" he stated in surprise.

Sarah buried her face in his sweet mane of hair. She only wanted to hold on to him forever and beg the horse to never leave. She loved to ride him too much. She had already grown attached to the animal. Charm looked at her in shock and then a sort of endearment passed over his features. He placed his head in her own hair and nuzzled against her shoulder. His warm breath coursed down her back and sent shivers down her spine.

"Thank you for everything, Charm. I'll never forget that ride," Sarah said with a warm smile.

She pulled out of the embrace with quite a bit of willpower. The horse remained standing by her, gazing lovingly into her eyes. He had a strange expression upon his long face and Sarah found herself feeling awkward. She stepped away from him and nervously adjusted her pack. The horse finally shook his head and turned to leave.

Sarah also turned. She had a crystal to find and she was only wasting time by saying good bye twice to a horse she had only just met. So why did it feel like she had known Charm forever? Why did she feel so safe around him the moment after he first laid eyes on her? It was strange and Sarah was sure that it wasn't going to be the last peculiar thing to happen to her on her journeys.

She knelt by the water and gazed into its clear and glassy surface. Sarah was reminded of the mirrors in Jareth's castle. He had used them to observe so much, and now he could do very little with his magic. She felt sorry for him, despite her better senses, but he was suffering more than anyone should ever have to. He was tied to a doomed empire that was crumbling all about him and all he could do was watch silently from his darkened corner.

The water looked surprisingly deep, especially since she was sitting on the shore. It almost seemed as if it just dropped off where it started. That was another strange thing and Sarah was sure that it did drop off. She scooted away from it, being on the safe side in case she actually was right about the depth.

"I guess that I need to do something," Sarah muttered to herself.

She touched the water and was very relieved to find out that it was cool and completely normal. She had half expected the water to simply be a large mirror. However, that was even too weird for the Underground. Water was water. Sarah edged back up by it and ran her arm through its cool surface. The water felt wonderful against her bare skin. If it hadn't been so open and deep it would make a wonderful place to bathe. However, she wouldn't do it on the slight chance that Jareth could still use his mirrors.

Something brushed against her arm in the water and Sarah snapped herself away from it. She couldn't trust anything. She had to continuously remind herself of that. Anything could be dangerous now that the magic was dying and warping itself around as it disintegrated. Sarah gradually brought herself closer to the water and gazed into its depths. There was nothing other than the cool, clean water.

"I must be imagining things now. Makes sense, I suppose. If I am really on my way to going nuts I guess I should start seeing things and feeling things any time now," Sarah thought to herself.

She reached her hand tentatively back into the water. There was nothing in there. There was nothing to touch her nor nothing to be afraid of. The lake was strangely devoid of fish and other aquatic life. Maybe the Mirameds were the only things that lived there. Maybe they had touched her. Sarah reached further in and scooted closer to the edge. She peered in, trying to catch a glimpse of the people who lived beneath the surface.

The thing brushed against her hand once again and this time something grabbed her. Sarah's heart skipped a beat as she felt herself pulled forward into the water. Her pack toppled off and landed on the shore. She reached for it, but missed. Whatever had a hold of her, had a strong grip. Sarah pulled back with all her might, but the thing dragged her into the deep water even further.

Her voice felt paralyzed deep within her throat. She was not able to even emit a single plea for help. All she could do was make a low guttural sound, almost like growling, that was nearly too quiet even for her to hear. She was stunned and could only allow the thing to drag her into the water towards certain doom.

The thought broke her frozen state. She would not go easily. She had to fight with every breath in her body. Some strange thing was not going to force her into the lake to die! Sarah pulled back more violently and whipped her captured hand about violently. However, the thing remained gripping her as tight as ever. There was no hope.

"HELP!! CHARM, someone!!! Anyone!!" Sarah begged as she slipped the rest of the way into the lake.

She treaded water for a short time, before the thing began to pull again. It pulled her below the water and Sarah struggled to regain her position on the surface. She bobbed up for a brief moment and gasped for air. Something caught her eye to the side. Sarah looked over and noticed a white flash had landed beside her. Her eyes were still blurred from being filled with Lake water when she was dragged under. Charm had returned to help her.

"Charm I..." Sarah couldn't finish.

The monster beneath the surface dragged her back under. She gasped and then drew in a deep breath. Sarah struggled against the thing, kicking and pushing it with all of her might. But it didn't help, the thing pulled her further and further away from the surface. The sun's light only appeared in waves of crystallized shines. She looked below her and kicked the thing repeatedly. It only wavered slightly, but Sarah took advantage of the weakness. She wrenched her arm and pulled herself free from the grasp.

Sarah could feel her air drawing away from her. Her lungs were on fire and begging for oxygen. The surface neared slowly, but she knew that she could reach it in time. All of her swimming lessons had actually done a lot of good. She swam as fast as she could and prepared her lungs for a wonderful, lifesaving, breath of air. However, it never came.

Sarah struck the surface of the water and was pushed away. She reached up and touched the surface, but it had turned hard, like glass. Sarah lost her last bit of air and sputtered slightly as her mind ran with a million thoughts at once. Her time was short and she had run out of ideas. Sarah was sure that she was doomed.

Charm looked down at her. Worry covered his long face. He touched the surface with his hoof, but it never penetrated to her. He walked on the water, because it had turned to glass. Charm couldn't do anything to help her. She was trapped in a watery grave. Her quest had ended early and she wasn't able to do anything about it.

Sarah placed a shaking hand upon the glassy surface. Before her eyes a strange thing was happening. Charm was changing. He lost his large body and flowing tail. His wings faded away and formed into a black cape. His face shortened and became Jareth's. He bent down to her and clawed at the mirrored surface of the water. A frantic expression had covered his face and he looked nearly insane with fear. Sarah could only look at him with no hope of ever being rescued.

Jareth laid his hand atop her own and looked into her eyes. Sarah looked back at him and saw what the Goblin King had tried so long to hide from her. There was something within his eyes. Could it actually be love? Sarah couldn't watch for very long. She lost her struggle with the lack of air and began to slip further below. Jareth went crazy as he watched her slip into the darkness. He banged wildly on the glass, but nothing would give. He was doomed to watch Sarah fall to her death in the dreaded lake.


	21. The Magical Plan

Chapter Eighteen, part 2: The Magical Plan

Jareth had been not even thought about coming to see Sarah until he and Toby had walked back into the castle. The idea of her friends loose and more than likely on their way to see her, was worrying him to no end. There was no doubt in his mind that they would find her. That beast seemed to have a sixth sense, or something along those lines. It would be no time before they teamed up with her and then overthrew Jareth's plans. He hated the thought of being beaten, but there was nothing he could do, what with his magic being so disagreeable.

Toby had changed into the goblin clothes he had found in the marketplace. They didn't look half bad and at least they had been properly cleaned. His wet clothes had been disposed of. There were no goblin servants to do the washing and Jareth's magic was running on low. He himself, had thrown several pairs of clothes into the trash rather than attempt to do a wash. There was just so far a king would stoop.

Toby bounded about the room and splashed through the shallow pond in the center of the throne room. He kicked the water about and splattered the draping with perfect little droplets. The ground was coated with the slick water and offered a dangerous walkway for Toby to be playing on. Jareth made an attempt to slow Toby down, but he didn't listen. Jareth decided that it was best to ignore the problem and hope that it would just go away soon.

He placed his head in his hands and tried to think the problem through. He had always been able to come up with a strategy. This time was no different. He would have to think of a way to stop them before they reached her. At the rate Sarah was traveling her friends would reach her in no time.

"Can I go look around?" Toby asked.

Jareth waved his hand though the air without a glance towards Toby. The boy smiled and rushed out of the room. He left behind him a mess of water and dirt from his shoes. The whole place had been sprayed with water. Toby had been lucky that nothing had struck Jareth. He wasn't in the best of moods and getting soaked was not going to improve anything.

"How could I have let them escape? What is the reason for this ignorance?" Jareth asked himself forlornly.

He had always been ready for a plan. Everything that anyone tried would be abruptly stopped by fast thinking on Jareth's part. Only once had he been beaten. That time would linger in his mind forever. For that had been the turning point of his whole life. Sarah had tried to destroy him. She had actually nearly succeeded for she had left his mighty castle in shambles, nothing but scattered dust and rock. The labyrinth had lost some of its previous tricks and magic and Jareth still hadn't been able to restore it entirely. She had stormed through and nearly killed his world and himself. She didn't even have a clue about the destruction she had caused. Now, however, she was here to save the world she had tried to defeat six years ago. Jareth had a feeling that she would have saved the Underground even if her friends hadn't been at stake. Despite herself, Sarah loved this magical place and Jareth knew that. However, he wasn't about to take chances. Now, it didn't matter. He had risked everything and came out with nothing. The prisoners were gone and so was his strong hold on Sarah. It was all very depressing.

Jareth rose from his throne. He had much to do and very little time to complete it all. He dodged a rather large puddle on the way to the doorway. Toby would have to come back and clean everything up. Jareth wasn't about to wipe up the child's mess. He had been immature enough to make it so he would have to be mature enough to fix it.

He gazed over to the picture that stood in the corner. Sarah looked as she had when she had confronted him so long ago. The face was a little more slender, for he had tried to paint her as she aged. It had been impossible. Her eyes caught his gaze and held him captive. Even the painting had power over him. Jareth reached up and pulled some of the curtain over the painting. It drifted over the canvas and floated a little in the cool breeze that had started up just recently. Sarah's form was still easy to see through the clear material, but at least her eyes had lost that hypnotizing hold that they had had over him.

He turned quickly and marched from the room. He could no longer dwell on the picture. Sarah was his main concern at that time. He hoped that his orb would still be agreeable for he needed to find out where the beast and Hoggle had traveled. He also was interested about where Sarah was heading. He didn't want them to happen to meet.

Jareth threw his door open and ignored the mess of his room. Toby would have to clean all of this as well. Jareth could not live with his chamber looking like a dump. For so long it had been the only room in the castle, save his crystallized room, that had remained neat and tidy. Now it just angered him to look at the mess and the clothes strewn across the ground.

Jareth sat in the chair near his orb and gazed into its depths. He had very little hope that it would actually work a second time. However, if the magic had decided to cooperate, he was going to use it as much as possible. Jareth waved a hand over the crystal and waited anxiously to see if anything would happen. The crystal shone weakly and Jareth let out a relieved breath.

"Show me where the prisoners have escaped," Jareth demanded.

The orb's light faded away and the dump came into view. Jareth rolled his blue eyes at the sight of the offensive dump. One thing about goblins, they didn't care where they threw their garbage. That was why they had their trash just outside the city limits. It was quite disgusting and horribly smelly, especially on warm days when the food began to rot a little faster. It wasn't sanitary in the least and Jareth had tried to think of a way to get rid of it many times. However, it never worked and the dump remained to this very day. Without the goblins around, it would probably get a chance to decompose a bit and lesson the amount of trash.

A flash of red fur came into focus behind a garbage heap. Jareth had no idea that the prisoners had only just escaped. They had barely made it beyond the city. If his magic had still been strong, Jareth would have flown to them and recaptured them. However, it was pointless. He was not able to keep them in constraints. The beast was too strong and the dwarf too witty.

Hoggle peered around the edge of a mound of broken furniture and soiled sheets. He looked both ways carefully and then motioned for Ludo to follow him. Jareth only watched them for a short time. He soon lost his interest. They were not a threat yet. Sarah had a good day between her and her friends. He would worry about them meeting another time.

"Show me Sarah," Jareth said as he waved his hand over the smooth surface once again.

The crystal was being very understanding that morning. The dump faded away abruptly and the forest came into focus. A very perplexed Sarah was in the center of the crystal gazing up to a large thorn bush. Jareth chuckled a bit at her problem. He remembered the boundary he had set up after the elves had tried to attack his castle. She would never be able to pass by the shrubbery. He noticed that she was near the lake. The furrygatherers must have told her something helpful.

Jareth waved his hand over the orb one last time and the picture faded away completely. He was overjoyed with the magic. Jareth hadn't really grasped the extent of his yearning to control the crystals once again. Perhaps other magic would work as well. It was an intriguing thought and certainly was worth a try.

If he could transform to his owl shape perhaps he could watch Sarah a bit easier. Yet, she knew about the owl. She would see him and immediately know that it was Jareth who was sitting in the trees near her. Jareth pondered the problem for a while longer. The only solution would be to resort to some other figure that Sarah would never recognize as him. That would be difficult. She seemed to know him better than he realized.

His mind drifted back to the problem with the friends and the tall thorn bush blocking Sarah's path. Maybe there was a way to solve every problem at once. Jareth thought this over a while. There had to be some way to get Sarah over the wall, slow the others down and watch her. Or maybe, he could speed her up. A smile formed on his lips.

"What do you think about a ride, Sarah?" Jareth asked the empty crystal orb.

He had to attempt the transformation before he could allow himself to rejoice in his wonderful plan. If the magic suddenly failed to work, it would be greatly depressing. However, Jareth had been putting up with depression for ages. He could handle one more setback. Yet, he wouldn't let himself think that it wasn't going to work. He was going to be positive about the whole thing. There was no proof that he would fail yet. Jareth nodded in agreement with his optimistic thoughts and walked quickly from the room.

He noticed Toby was rushing down the hall and he didn't look like he was attempting to slow down. Jareth halted in mid stride and waited for the child's arrival. Toby ran straight to the Goblin King and gripped him about his legs. Jareth very nearly lost his balance. His legs buckled and he staggered back into the wall. Still Toby held on tightly. He was shivering in fright and only clutching Jareth stronger. He had a grip like a vice and Jareth could only lean against the wall and look down at the small boy.

"What are you doing, Toby?" Jareth asked, quite fed up with the foolish behavior.

Toby turned his face up to the Goblin King. His eyes were wide and they darted around him. Something had frightened him That was obvious. However, what it was was another question. Toby looked too scared to speak. Jareth was surprised that he hadn't been paralyzed from the fear. He moved his legs a bit, but the boy would not loosen his grip. He was just being stubborn.

"I-I-I," was all Toby could manage to stammer out.

Jareth placed his gloved hands beneath Toby's arms and pried them apart. He slipped his legs away from the boy and quickly bent beside him. Toby only stood by himself for a brief moment. A bird landed on a nearby window and Toby suddenly flew into a very startled Goblin King's arms. He placed his head on Jareth's shoulder and wrapped his arm around his neck.

Jareth knelt there, with his arms at his side. He had no idea what to do. What was this boy attempting by hugging him? Jareth was confused at the blatant show of affection on Toby's part. He brought his arms around Toby carefully and laid them gently on the child's back. Toby only pressed himself closer to the king.

"What happened, Toby?" Jareth asked carefully.

Toby shuddered again. He shook his head and whimpered in fear. He was not going to be able to speak for some time, considering the state he was currently in. Jareth lifted the light boy into his arms and carried him into the throne room. Toby would not remove his head from Jareth's shoulder.

In Toby's opinion, just looking around would bring the scary thing back. He was safer to remain in the darkness and as close to the Goblin King as possible. When scary things were around the best place to be was in an adult's arms. They would protect any child. It was in the job description. Toby had heard of some small children who hadn't had parents and the scary things had gotten them and eaten them. Little boys were the favorite meal for scary things, just like Toby's favorite was chocolate ice cream. Toby shivered again at the thought of being placed on a huge cone and licked to death by a scary thing.

Jareth sat upon his throne and waited for the child to calm himself down. He didn't have much patience at the time, for he really wanted to discover if he could transform into another shape or not. Toby was only complicating things. Jareth made a mental note to send the child home when he returned. It would be the safest thing to do. Toby belonged on Earth. The Underground wasn't his home, just like it wasn't Sarah's either. They belonged elsewhere.

Toby was still and his breathing had slowed down. He actually felt as if he had drifted off to sleep. Jareth checked the child's face and was quite shocked to see that his eyes were closed and his mouth hung slightly open. Jareth stood up again and walked down the hall towards Toby's room. The boy had had a hard day, after all, and he needed his rest. If Jareth was going to return the boy, he needed to be in top form to make it through the transition between worlds.

Jareth laid the boy gently atop the bed and tossed a blanket nearly lovingly over the sleeping child. Toby shifted and cuddled against the feathered pillows. He let out a long sigh and then drifted deeper into sleep. Jareth gazed at him for a moment, wondering why Sarah had ever wished him away. The child was very well behaved and was quite enjoyable to have around.

Jareth pulled his glove from his slender hand. He had surprisingly smooth hands for a man. It was probably due to the gloves that he almost constantly wore. Jareth brushed one long finger across Toby's full cheek. The boy's face twitched a little and then he settled back down.

"Sleep well, Toby," Jareth said gently.

He closed the door as he exited the room. Jareth then turned and hurried the rest of the way down the hall. He had wasted precious time that could have been used finding Sarah in his new form. Jareth walked through his throne room and straight to the large, broken iron doors. He jumped them easily and broke into the afternoon sunlight.

Jareth pulled his glove back on his hand and then motioned for a crystal to form. He felt the familiar weight fall into his hand and he looked in awe at the lovely and perfect sphere. He had formed a crystal. It had nearly been two days since he had been able to call them to listen to him. Jareth held it gently and twisted it about in his lithe hands. All the magic he had ever managed to perform in his long, long, long life was nothing compared to this single crystal ball.

It had been a surprisingly good day. He had yet to have one of his attacks. Losing the agonizing pain was also a plus in his books. The magic had obeyed him and he hadn't had the strange tearing sensation when he lost control of his anger. Perhaps Toby was a good influence. Jareth smiled at the thought. Nothing had happened since Toby had been there. Well, other than the small outburst of anger Jareth had spewed towards the boy when he was discovered spying. That had been tiny compared to the anger he had experienced when Sarah was there. She had a way to make him furious enough to nearly harm her. Jareth knew that he never would, as long as he was still in charge of his functions and not a slave to his anger.

"_I am just waiting, __Jareth__. Do not think that I have left!"_ the small voice suddenly broke through Jareth's thoughts.

He looked around, hoping beyond hope that someone had spoken to him. However, that was not to be. There was nothing around him, save a few rats scurrying around the barren streets of the goblin city. Jareth nearly collapsed from the disappointment. He was not getting better. It was like he was in the calm at the eye of the storm. Of course, that meant that he was halfway through. However, Jareth was certain that the worst part laid ahead of him and then end would be covered in death and destruction.

"Why must this voice pester me? You have what you want! I am going to die at your vile hands, in your grip. I shall never have what I wish for, because you bring out my evil nature to harm anyone who comes near me. I am alone and bored, and I will greet death with open arms. So you are not the only winner. I am not afraid of death!!" Jareth yelled.

His voice echoed through the city and resounded back to him. He let the noise die down before he would allow himself to return his attention to the lovely crystal. Sure death was upon him, but his magic was working at the time being and he should only think about that. The rest was all too depressing. Jareth twirled the crystal in his hand a bit longer and then threw it into the air.

The crystal balanced among the skies and clouds for a moment and then floated slowly down to Jareth. Its gentle blue glow grew stronger as it descended. It swirled in the air and Jareth could feel the cool breeze it was creating. He watched the magic in awe. It had been a long time since it had worked so very well. Jareth would have to savor it, for he felt that this would be his last truly great magical feat...ever.

The crystal shone with a brilliant white radiance that pulsed all about it. It bathed Jareth in the light and covered the ground around him as well. He felt the magic pulsing through his system and surrounding his very soul with perfect ivory splendor. It felt pure and gentle, different from any magic he had every created before. It covered his senses and he could only feel, taste, smell, hear and see the magic surrounding him entirely.

Jareth threw his hands into the air and the crystal exploded in a brighter flash of light. It bathed Jareth completely and he disappeared in the intense rays for a brief time. The light faded shortly later and Jareth stepped out from the used magic.

He tossed his mighty head, his luxurious white mane slipping around him and spilling before his eyes. Jareth threw the hair back and it floated through the air, riding a new breeze. His long tail flowed like a mysterious ivory liquid through the air. It slipped around him and whipped the ground. He beat his muscular wings and rose a few feet into the air. The feathers glistened in the sun like they had been coated with glitter and his own crushed crystals. All around him was the scent of magic. He could smell flowers and a spring breeze. Jareth lowered himself back to the ground and tapped his golden hooves upon the stone floor. They sparkled fiercely in the sunshine and nearly blinded him when he marveled at their pure nature. His eyes flashed with their normal intensity. That was something that Sarah would recognize. Jareth only hoped that she would be so shocked with the entire sight of him that the eyes would simply be passed by.

"A wonderful ride is what you desire, my dear," Jareth's voice had been lowered considerably and lost the accented nature.

The mighty Pegasus rose into the sky as graceful as a bird riding a springtime breeze. His wings unfurled around him and beat the air furiously to lift his large, muscular body into the awaiting sky above. His hooves pawed through the air as if he were galloping through the breeze. Jareth flew through the vast blue expanse towards Sarah.

So he had come to Sarah and flew her to her doom. This whole memory flashed through Jareth's panicked mind as he banged furiously on the glassy surface of the lake. He had failed her. He had brought her here and so it had been his fault. Jareth clawed frantically on the water, but to no evil. Sarah still sank deeper and deeper into the depths. He was helpless once again.

"Sarah! Please no!" Jareth yelled.

He watched as she slipped out of sight. Jareth laid upon the water and beat his fists upon the surface. There was no way to save her. He had killed her. Jareth looked down into the water and caught a final glimpse of brunette hair. That was when he realized that it was over. He had lost and Sarah had lost. She had died and now he would die.

Jareth rose to his shaky legs, still watching the water as the last bit of hope slipped away. He had never expected it to end like this. Sarah was not the one who was doomed to die, at least not so young. She had barely had time to live her life. Jareth walked to the shore and looked into the perfect blue sky. He raised one fist into the air and shook it aggressively.

"Why not just take me! I have lived too long! Take me now! Destroy me with pain that will drive me from my mind. Force me to watch my kingdom die and torture me with every evil bone in your body. Destroy me! I do no care what you do, but let her live!!! I cannot survive with her death upon my shoulders. I cannot live without her being alive!! I cannot do it! I love her!!" Jareth's voice drifted through the forest, but no one was meant to hear.


	22. A Village Beneath the Glass

Chapter Nineteen: A Village Beneath the Glass

The whole world was slipping away from her and there was nothing that she could do to stop herself. The black water was enveloping her entire array of senses. Far over her stood Jareth, still pounding soundlessly on the glass surface. However, the darkness was covering her. She felt it in her eyes and her mouth, choking off all the air. Sarah gasped and only succeeded in filling her mouth and airway with stinging cold water. She coughed and gagged and lost any air that she had left. She could no longer struggle against the forces pushing her down. Her lungs felt as if they would burst. They needed air and so did she. Reality was slipping out of her grasping fingers. She had to hold on tighter. Sarah beat her legs pathetically. It only pushed her up a little, but it was far from enough. She lost her last bit of strength shortly later. Her legs felt like dead weights attached to her body. She felt detached from everything. Her fingers were numb and blue from the chilling water. The pressure beat on her head and a dull pain flared up. Her ears were ringing in protest to the force of water they were enduring, and still she sank further below.

"I am dying. I always wondered if it would hurt. I guess that this is the worst possible way to die, this, or maybe burning to death. However, I certainly wouldn't recommend drowning. Not being able to breath is discouraging," her thoughts were strange and almost calm as her lips turned blue and she lost her sight.

She flailed slightly in the water, for being blinded and falling without air is entirely frightening. She turned in a circle and water trickled into her ear. It rolled around and only annoyed her. It was stupid to think about water in her ear when she was dying, but it didn't settle right with her. Sarah tried to move her hand to her ear, but it didn't listen to her.

"My brain must be shutting down. Sorry Ladies and Gentlemen but, due to lack of oxygen, we'll be ending the show early. We're really sorry and we offer half of your money back. There will be no further showings," she thought in a delirious way.

Something grabbed her by the arms and Sarah's head lolled backwards as the thing jerked her upwards. Sarah's eyes were of no use to her and she was very near unconsciousness. She only knew for sure that something had grabbed hold of her. She felt something else grab her head and blow lifesaving air into her lungs. Sarah savored the breath, but she was slipping away too quickly.

They were pulling her down further and she had to go with them. Her ear rattled with the horrid water and nearly drove her crazy. However, it didn't last long, for she had blacked out in the next instant. Sarah slipped into unconsciousness vaguely aware of the powerful grip of the strange, unknown entities that were pulling her ever downward into the darkness. She continued to descend to the floor of the lake, which was also surprisingly deep. The pressure could have very easily killed her, but in the Underground things were just different.

They stopped and looked down at the pale visitor. Her eyes had not yet opened in the few hours she had been in their home. They had only managed to save her by a very scant margin. She had already shown the death color of blue-purple when she was pulled into safety. It was said that her chances of survival were fairly good since she was thought to be a fighter. It was just another poor soul who had been trapped beneath the magical surface of the lake. They watched over her and waited for her to come to.

The home was warm and dry, which was surprising considering it was located at the bottom of Lake Crystal Moon. Stranger things had happened and this had been the way the Mirameds had lived their whole lives. They had stayed beneath the surface, not necessarily of their own accord. You see, the surface was just as glass to them as it had been for their not so fortunate visitor.

She shifted in her sleep and muttered something under her breath. The one that had been watching over her rushed to her side and looked at her resting face. It seemed that she was out of the coma-like state she had been in. However, she was still very much asleep. Her lips twitched slightly. The one Miramed in the room observed her colors and was thankful that she had regained the living hues of lush peach and pink.

"Jareth," she spoke in a slightly shocked voice.

The watcher jumped back at the sound of her voice. He inched closer and waited for her to speak again, but she didn't. Her eyes were twitching in her sleep. She was having a dream, probably a very vivid dream as well. She rolled on to her other side and huddled beneath the covers that laid over her wet body. They had tried desperately to dry her, but it only worked so much in a town at the bottom of the lake.

Her eyes fluttered briefly and then closed once again. The Miramed looked over his shoulder, wondering if he should fetch superiors to talk to her once she had awakened. He glanced back and realized that he couldn't risk it. She appeared to be returning to consciousness quickly. He would just have to wait until after he had told her what had happened. She would be scared, that was a fact. Her last memory had been drowning and now she was in a home.

Her eyes flashed open and she looked around herself with a wide, frightened stare. They flicked around her, but she did not move her head. Her eyes were the only thing awake. They dashed around frantically, as if searching for an escape. Her wild gaze fell on the Miramed and her mouth formed into an 'o' of surprise. She could only look at him in shock.

The Miramed rushed up to her and immediately placed a hand to her head. Sarah cringed away from him, still unable to speak, but at least she had moved. He attempted to touch her again, but she shied from his hand. He backed away a few steps and held his hands up to show that he meant her no harm. She looked at him and to his splayed fingers. She was not ready to trust anyone quite yet. Her ordeal had happened too recently and for all she knew this could be the thing that had dragged her below in the first place.

"Are you all right?" the Miramed asked.

Sarah nodded apprehensively. She touched her throat with one hand and rubbed it slightly. There was something wrong. Her voice couldn't come out. Sarah tapped her throat frantically, trying to persuade her voice box to work. However, there was no sound emitted from her mouth. It gaped open, but that was all she could do. Sarah looked to the Miramed in the hope that he would know what was wrong.

"You won't be able to speak for a while. The water you swallowed really hurt your throat and we gave you something to take your voice away. It'll heal faster that way. If you talk with your throat like that, you could damage your voice forever. I think you understand that we had no choice," he explained as he carefully edged closer to her.

Sarah thought this over and then finally shrugged. It didn't matter, at least she was alive. She could never speak again and she would still be happy. Being alive after death gripping you, was a feat in itself. Sarah closed her mouth with a snap and removed her hand from her throat. She could wait. Who was there to talk to on her journey? However, how was she going to communicate with these creatures?

"We have heard about you. I thought that you should know that. I have to go and fetch some of my superiors. You see, they wanted to be here when you woke up, but I couldn't leave you here alone. Hopefully they won't be mad," he said as an afterthought.

Sarah observed the strange humanoid being. He looked human from the waist up. He was male and muscular. He had long hair that was a surprising color of green. Sarah noticed that he had a strange diamond shape on his forehead. Below his waist were scales. It had been a fin, but now he had legs that were still coated in scales and green skin. Strange.

Sarah nodded and smiled to the Miramed. She was fairly sure that that was what he was. She wished that she could ask his name, but her voice was still gone. This was going to offer more difficulties than she originally anticipated. Sarah pulled the blankets up below her chin and snuggled further down.

The Miramed opened the door and then shut it behind himself. Sarah was surprised that there was no water around her. She had thought that the Mirameds lived at the bottom of the lake. Why did they live in cottages instead? She heard no water nor did she see any. Perhaps Leader had been mistaken. They must live out of the water and go in to hunt...maybe. Sarah only dwelled on that perplexing thought for a short time. There was no answer yet, but she was sure that she would get one soon. Once the superiors came she was sure that a lot of her questions would be answered, but how would she ask them?

She allowed her mind to wander back to the sight she had seen moments before falling too far beneath the water. She had actually seen Jareth transform from the Pegasus to his real self. It had shocked her, to say the least. However, she had known that that horse was something different. She had seen it in his blue-rimmed eyes. She should have known that it was Jareth. What was his reason for wanting to become a Pegasus and fly her closer to the next crystal? Was he actually trying to help her?

Sarah could not even begin to understand his wild mood swings. One moment he pushed her away, then he would help her and then he would threaten her with some horrible form of punishment. She didn't know what to do or say. She had finally decided that Jareth was an enemy and nothing else. However, Leader had told Sarah that Jareth was evil and kind. That certainly didn't help her very much.

Then there had been that time in the castle. She had been so vulnerable and he had just acted too sweet and charming. Her long-hidden emotions had rushed to the surface and enveloped her in a sea of passion. However, it was not the right time. Perhaps it had been too soon or far too late. Either way Jareth had rejected her and pushed her away when Sarah had been ready to give herself over to the Goblin King. He didn't care about her, she had decided. Then he helped her!

Sarah knew that the answer to all of her questions was held within her 'pieces', as Leader had called them. However, she just didn't understand how they were connected. Sarah touched her necklace and was very relieved that it had not fallen off during her struggle to survive beneath the deadly water. It was still warm to the touch and the faint glow remained embedded deep inside of the golden medallion. Sarah ran her thumb over the carved surface and circled the tiny crystallized shimmer. She had to find out what it was.

The door flew open and Sarah very nearly screamed. It wouldn't have done any good, her voice, she remembered, was still gone. She let out a deep breath when the Miramed who had been there earlier walked in. There were three others behind him. Those were the superiors. They had the same royal air as Jareth. They were dressed in fine cloaks of green and blue silk. They billowed behind them from an unseen breeze. All three had their hair done up into intricate styles, making them look only more regal. However, they had kind faces and Sarah felt safe around them.

"Why, if the young woman hasn't awakened. We are very pleased that you decided to live," the female remarked as she sat upon the bed by Sarah.

She was older than the other two, because Sarah could see wrinkles lining her mouth and the corners of her eyes. Sarah was shocked to see someone who actually looked old. Most of the inhabitants of the Underground simply looked young. This woman had obviously been around for a great while.

"I am Nerissai, the high queen of the Mirameds. I hope that you find your quarters acceptable. We do not have exceptionally fancy accommodations, as you have probably guessed by this cottage," she said with a wonderful smile.

Sarah smiled back. She looked around the room and then nodded her head in agreement. The place was simple, but it was dry and very comfortable. Unfortunately, Sarah was not able to say any of these things. She touched her throat and shrugged.

"We know that you cannot speak, but we would like to find out as much about you as possible. The medicine should wear off in a short time. At that time, we invite you to come to our great hall to meet the rest of the superiors," another Miramed said from the doorway.

Sarah looked over to him and nodded again. It sounded good and she would be glad to get her voice back. If she had been in her world perhaps she would have had paper and pencil. However, Sarah couldn't even ask if they had any of those items. She was pretty much stuck until her voice decided to return.

"I wish I knew how long I've been here," Sarah thought to herself.

Nirissai placed her hand on Sarah's shoulder and then stood up. Her long cloak brushed past Sarah and swept over her face. It was the kind of silk that the glorious sheets in the castle had been crafted from. Yet, the silk fell away from her quickly and only left her clutching simple woolen sheets. Sarah sighed, she didn't want to get spoiled from one night in a royal bed.

The three walked back out of the door. The first Miramed waited until they had left and then turned back to smile at Sarah. He certainly was a friendly fellow. He pulled a small chair over by the side of her bed and placed himself in the seat.

"So, are you feeling better?" he asked.

Sarah nodded once again. It seemed like the only thing she could manage to do anymore. She wished that she had learned sign language in school, but she hadn't really thought she would ever need it in her acting career. How many deaf actors were there? Besides, the Mirameds probably didn't even know signing and if they did it was probably totally different than the kind used on Earth.

Sarah finally decided that she would try mouthing the words. Perhaps the Miramed would figure it out that way. She just had to know how much time she had wasted nearly drowning and laying in the bed. If it had been a long time then her quest was doomed, but if it had been a short time then she would be lucky.

Sarah pointed to her mouth and began forming the words silently and slowly. The Miramed looked at her with extreme curiosity. He probably didn't even know what she was attempting to do. He looked at her closely, trying to understand her movements. The Miramed stared into her mouth, seemingly oblivious to the words she was attempting to show him. He then shrugged.

"I don't understand," he stated.

Sarah finally gave up with a discouraged sigh. She would just have to be patient. The Mirameds were only trying to help her with her problems. They had not set out to take her voice away from her. She could wait a little while longer. It couldn't possibly be that lengthy. Could it?

"I'm sorry. I know that you want to speak, but you have to wait if you want a voice to come back to you. I'm Briler. If you need anything either I or Tartia will help you. I don't know where she's gone off to. I just hope she gets back soon. I have to get going," Briler explained.

Sarah fiddled with the sheets for a bit longer. Her gown she wore felt like the same material as the bedding. It was warm and entirely different than the dress she had had when she fell in the lake. Sarah felt her cheeks rising with a faint blush. These Mirameds had changed her! She hoped with all her soul that it had been Tartia and not Briler. Sarah hid her face in the pillows, not wanting to think about such embarrassing topics.

"What's wrong now?" Briler asked.

Sarah shook her head, but remained buried in her pillow. She wasn't about to look at him, for fear that she would turn beat red at the thought of being changed like a baby! Briler didn't seem to understand. He simply leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. There was much sleep to catch up on now that the guest didn't need constant supervision. It had been his luck to find her. Now he and Tartia were stuck watching her. It disturbed the whole regular schedule.

"Hey, Briler, are you sleeping on the job?" a female voice asked from the doorway.

Briler nearly toppled over. The chair slanted dangerously backwards, but he caught himself and rested all four legs securely on the floor. A female Miramed walked over to Sarah's side and rubbed her back.

"Hey, sleepy! Are you awake yet?" she asked.

Sarah glanced up at the young woman. She was probably close to Sarah's age, by appearance. However, Jareth looked close to Sarah's age as well and he was certainly a lot older. She guessed that the new Miramed was Tartia, coming to take over the watching. Sarah rolled on to her back and scooted up into a sitting position to look at the new person.

"You took long enough. I need to get going, Tartia and she's your responsibility now," Briler said.

He rushed out the door without a look back. Sarah was thankful that he was gone. He was nice enough, even though he had gotten impatient towards the end. However, the idea of him changing her out of her clothes didn't settle right with her. Sarah shivered a bit and pulled the blankets around her tighter.

"So, is that voice coming back yet? We gave the medicine to you nearly ten hours ago! I thought that you were going to sleep forever!" Tartia said with a lovely laugh.

Sarah had finally gotten a hint towards how long she had been with the Mirameds. If she had gotten the medicine ten hours ago, then... that would make it Midnight!! She had lost a whole day. It wasn't as bad as it could have been. She could have been down there for days. As it was she still had eleven days to find ten crystals, or ten days to find them and one to return to Jareth.

Sarah opened her mouth and tried to say anything. A faint whisper fell from her lips. Sarah smiled. Her voice was coming back. However, it would still be a while before anyone else could understand what she was trying to say. Her whisper was still far too faint to be heard.

"I guess it'll be back in a while. Don't you worry though, I'll take good care of you until you feel tip top again. You're lucky we found you when we did. You looked like you were on death's doorstep. Briler had to give you some air just to get you down here! I thought that we had a dead body, but you kept muttering something the whole time you were asleep. Oh, and don't worry about clothes. We'll give you some new stuff. Your old ones got damaged from the whole chain of events," Tartia explained in a hasty voice.

She was surprisingly beautiful. She wore a sleeveless pink dress that flowed about her like water. Her long hair cascaded far past her waist and was a remarkable shade of turquoise. In the center of her forehead was an enchanting blue diamond that sparkled in the torch light. Her eyes looked like sapphires, that matched the stone on her head. She was graceful as she walked and as she sat. Sarah couldn't help but admire her refined beauty. She was a Mermaid after all.

"I guess you don't understand that we are at the bottom of the lake. It doesn't seem like it, huh? I can hardly believe that we have thousands of tons of water rushing around us as we speak. Kind of scary, but there's no need to worry. We have magic surrounding us!" Tartia stated.

Sarah's heart skipped a beat. Tartia had said that magic was protecting them. That meant that they did have a crystal and that when it died then the water would rush in. The magic was fading, did that mean that the water was close to crushing all of them? Sarah shuddered at the thought and silently prayed that the orb would hold out a little longer. She didn't feel like drowning again.

"I.." Sarah croaked.

She broke into a deliriously happy smile. Her voice had actually been loud enough to hear. It sounded hoarse, but that didn't mean that it wouldn't return to normal. Tartia laughed and hugged Sarah tightly. She then sat back down on the chair and waited for Sarah to attempt to use her voice.

"Thanks," Sarah finally managed.

"Oh, come on. We don't need any thanks. I'm sure that you would have rescued us if we had been in trouble. We couldn't just let you die! After all, who would save the crystals if you died?" Tartia asked.

Sarah was astonished. They knew about the crystal too. Of course, Briler had told her that she was recognized by the Mirameds. She wasn't used to being so popular. Everyone she met, recently, knew who she was and what she was doing for the Underground. Sarah wondered if they knew her name as well.

"I'm...," Sarah was cut off by Tartia's finger across her lips.

"No, don't waste your voice. I know who you are, Sarah. Why wouldn't I? After all, you have been promised to us for a very long time. Personally, I think that you should just defeat our most wonderful king and take over the Underground. Everyone likes you anyway," Tartia said as she reclined in the chair.

Sarah gazed at the Miramed strangely. They wanted _her_, a mortal from Earth, to rule the Underground! They actually had the gall to think that she could defeat _Jareth!!_ The Goblin King would not take such a wish lightly. Sarah silently hoped that he wasn't watching her. However, he had acted genuinely terrified when she was slipping further into the water. Perhaps there was a chance that he himself did not even know about the Mirameds at the bottom of the lake.

"No, I don't want...," Sarah's voice cracked.

Tartia rolled her lovely blue eyes and gestured for Sarah to be careful with her recently healed voice. She picked up a glass that had been placed upon a nightstand by the head of Sarah's bed. The Miramed held the glass to Sarah's lips and allowed her to drink the cool, soothing liquid it held. Sarah savored the calming feeling that immediately swarmed over her raspy throat. She swallowed a few times and found that most of the pain had suddenly faded away.

"Thanks again," Sarah remarked.

Tartia only shrugged. She placed the glass back down and then rested in the seat once again. Her eyes flashed, almost like Jareth's and for a brief moment they nearly looked related. However, that was absurd. The Goblin King and a Miramed had no relations whatsoever. Still, the similarities were intriguing.

"I was saying that I wouldn't dream of trying to overthrow Jareth. He's way too powerful for me to attempt to fight. Besides, I have a life elsewhere. I need to go home after I've restored the crystals," Sarah explained.

The expression on Tartia's face seemed to fall from Sarah's bit of news. She looked towards the ground and scuffed her feet through the dry dirt floor. Her pink dress brushed against the soil, but never was marked. It remained pure and spotless. Sarah marveled over the magic quality. It was quite amazing.

"You can fight him. He's just protected by that pathetic power. The magic is having problems, Sarah. He's weak now and it would be very easy to take over the throne. You know that you would much rather live here. Imagine being royalty. You would be the queen and all of the Underground would be yours to rule over! Wouldn't that be amazing?" Tartia asked with a wild twinkle in her eyes.

Sarah shook her head. Tartia was going overboard with the whole plan. Maybe the Mirameds had expected Sarah to be a sort of warrior, but she most certainly wasn't. She was barely able to stand up against Jareth's seductive nature. It would be impossible to defeat him and all of his magic.

"I appreciate your faith in me, but I'm sorry that I can't do that. If there is anything else that I can help you with, like trying to save your orb, I would be happy to do so. But, I can't defeat Jareth. You don't understand," Sarah explained.

Tartia was crushed. She offered Sarah a slight smile, trying not to show her discouragement with their supposed savior. Even if Sarah did save the magic, then the Mirameds would remain captive in the lake until the end of time, or until someone finally decided to kill their evil king. Sarah wasn't going to. Tartia realized that there was something more to Sarah's failure to defeat the king. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was something else there.

"I understand. You see, he's kept us captive down here since he first came. One of our ancient kings tried to defeat Jareth when he had only just formed his fabled Labyrinth. The king lost and so all of us suffered. Jareth banished us to the lake and he suspected us to die without any ability to get out. Contrary to popular belief we do not enjoy staying in the water all the time. We would probably be dead if it hadn't been for the orb that had been found at the great cave shortly later. My ancestors studied the magic and used it to make a secure fortress here. We can go out and in easily, but no water ever penetrates the barrier. Now, with the orb dying, the water has begun to trickle in. It's only started to leak, but the superiors fear that soon the water will fill the entire fortress and we will be forced to move into the lake for all time. Then we will be doomed to die, for even the Mirameds cannot live their whole existence without life-giving oxygen. We could only hope that you would come, and here you are. However, since you cannot defeat the Goblin King we will be forced to remain in this damned watery prison for all time. I don't mean to blame you, Sarah. I just wish that I could find that horrible Jareth and kill him with my own hands. I can only hope that the suffering he is rumored to be undergoing is horrible and painful and will drive him from his sane mind, or what is left of it. I fear that your dear king has never been totally sane, not by my standards anyway. For what sane man would sentence hundreds of Mirameds, or any kind of creature, to death?!" she demanded.

Sarah listened to her tale. Her anger was flaring up as the story of Jareth's evil ways came into view. He had atttempted to kill them! How could anyone, with a heart, try to annihilate a whole race? It was like Hitler! She had thought many things about Jareth. Sarah had decided that he was evil, not fair, and haughty, but she had never believed him to be a murderer. She shivered in thoughts of Toby being with the viscous man. Her poor little, innocent brother was in the clutches of the murderous Goblin King.

"I'm sorry," was all Sarah could manage.

Tartia shrugged it off. She was too vehement about the past. Many had told her that she should just let it all go. It was gone and she was urged to focus on the future. They had a plan to escape. They just needed to unite all the Mirameds to join an entire force. The plan was too far ahead and Tartia was ready for something to happen immediately. That was where Sarah had come in, but she was not going to be of any help.

"Let's not speak about such things. I heard that you were asked to see the great superiors in the grand hall when your voice returned. Since it is back I suggest that we get you dressed and hurry on over there," Tartia replied with a slightly better mood than before.

Sarah smiled and tossed the warm blankets away. Cool air struck her and shivers coursed up and down her spine. Sarah had not guessed at how cold it was in the Miramed's fortress. She grasped her arms around herself and shivered to gain her heat back. Tartia looked over her and then placed the blanket on Sarah's shuddering shoulders.

"I had no idea that you wouldn't be ready for the temperature change. We don't get much sunlight down here. You just need to stand it for a while. I guarantee that you will get used to it in a very short time," Tartia stated as she pulled the blanket away from Sarah.

Sarah stood up and attempted to control her shivers. She rubbed her hands over her bare arms and tried to convince them to stay warm and ignore the cold of the room. Tartia pulled a dress from the closet and then approached Sarah once again. She held the dress out to her and placed it in Sarah's awaiting hands.

"I'll just be outside if you need anything. I thought that you would like your privacy," Tartia explained as she walked out the door and shut it carefully behind herself.

Sarah held the dress in front of her. Once again they had chosen a garment that wasn't practical. However, it was remarkably beautiful. The dress was a shimmering azure blue color. It was sleeveless and looked fitted to her exact form. The neckline was not as high as her previous dress had been, but it was not shockingly low either. It flared out at the waist and drifted in the cool breeze, as Tartia's had done.

Sarah snapped her gaze away from the dress. If she was going to analyze everything then she would never be able to get anything important done. It was a dress, after all, beautiful, but still just an article of clothing and it was not important exactly how it looked down to each sequence.

Sarah pulled the simple cotton shift over her head and put the new dress on. Her previous assumptions had been correct. The dress fit as if it had been made for her. It was tight around the bodice and the neckline was cut under her collarbones. She observed the lovely color as it shone in the flickering torch light. Sarah spun around, admiring the way it twisted and floated through the air. It was like a dream.

"Now, Sarah, you're acting like a giddy teenager! This is a dress, a dumb dress! You need to go and speak to the superiors and ignore the dress!" she told herself.

Sarah walked quickly towards the door and threw it open. She cringed back, expecting the water to rush in on her. However, there was nothing to meet her. Tartia looked at her with a strange expression upon her face. Sarah looked back out and was instantly struck with awe towards the amazing sight around her.

The whole village was dry. There were many houses in the town that laid around the large hall that had been placed in the center of everything. Surrounding the entire city, like a forcefield, was a bubble. It had been produced by the magical orb. That was apparent. Sarah noticed a few Mirameds swimming towards the bubble. They had their lovely green and blue fins. However, when they burst through the shield the fins faded away to reveal legs, still in the same colors as before. The women were clothed in dresses the moment they lost their fins. Strangely, different than the movies Sarah had seen before, the fins reached all the way up to their chest, not giving them the need for seashells. Sarah laughed at the thought.

"So what do you think of our humble abode?" Tartia asked.

"Wow!" Sarah exclaimed as she continued to gape at her surroundings.

A crash surprised both of the girls. They spun around to see a rather large crack in the top of the huge bubble. A trickle of water streamed from the injury. Tartia sighed and turned back to Sarah. There wasn't much time left for Sarah to speak to the superiors and get out before the whole place collapsed in on itself.

"Hurry. This place is falling down, Sarah, and you don't want to be stuck here when all Hell breaks loose."


End file.
